262 How THE FARM PAYS. 



pigs, as to have led to disputes and ill feeling between our own and 

 foreign Governments, which have refused our pork because of this- 

 dangerous pest. The losses to agriculture on this account alone are 

 no doubt enormous, and may be still greater, and thus seriously affect 

 the question of "How the Farm Pays." The engravings here given 

 show this worm as it appears when mature and filled with eggs, but 

 greatly enlarged. In its natural state it is barely visible to the naked 

 eye and can be seen with difficulty as an oval shaped capsule, as large 

 as a small pin's head, embedded in the muscular tissue. In this con- 

 dition it is dormant and has no further effect than to cause stiffness of 

 the limbs at times, and . it thus exists until the flesh in which it is 

 encysted is eaten and digested, when the worms are set free and begin 



TRICHINA SPIKALJS. THE SAME ENCYSTED, GREATLY ENLARGED. 



their work of destruction. It infests rats, mice, and several other 

 carrion or offal eating animals; but the pig, from its omnivorous habits, 

 is specially infested by it. Pigs become infested by devouring rats, 

 the offal of the pork packing establishments, and the dung of other 

 swine. Some may die from the effects of the parasites, which, as they 

 penetrate the bowels and pass into the muscular tissue, cause fever and 

 intense pain in the limbs, with profuse diarrhoea. After a short time, 

 if the animal does not die, the creatures form their cysts, in which they 

 curl themselves up and begin their curious and lengthened sleep. 

 As with other pests of this nature, prevention is the safest course, and 

 cleanliness of feeding and lodging, with the destruction of vermin, 

 will be sufficient to avoid it. 



The pig is the prey of numerous other intestinal parasites, one of 

 which inhabits the kidney and the fat around it. This is a small 

 worm an inch or more in length and causes that very common disease 

 in pigs which produces paralysis of the hind quarters. The numerous 

 worms which are found in the bowels greatly affect the health of 

 animals, but would be far less trouble if more care were taken to avoid 

 impoverishment of the condition by injudicious feeding, over feeding 

 being quite as objectionable in this re-pect as insufficient food. As a 



