Speeifio Contagious Diseases. 103 



dications. Every separate case would demand special 

 treatment. 



SWINE-PLAGUE. HOG-CHOLEKA. 



A specific contagious fever of swine, attended by conges- 

 tion, exudation, blood extravasation, and ulceration of the 

 membrane of the stomach and bowels, by liquid foetid diar- 

 rhoea, by general heat and redness of the surface and by the 

 appearance on the skin and mucous membranes of spots 

 and patches of a scarlet, purple, or black color. It is fatal 

 in from one to six days, or ends in a tedious, uncertain re- 

 covery. The germ is in some epizootics a diplococcus, and 

 in others a bacillus, implying two distinct diseases. 



Symptoms. Incubation ranges from a week or fortnight 

 in cold weather to three days in warm. It is followed by 

 shivering, dullness, prostration, hiding under the litter, un- 

 willingness to rise, hot, dry snout, sunken eyes, unsteady 

 gait behind, impaired or lost appetite, ardent thirst, in- 

 creased temperature (103.2° to 105° F.) and pulse. "With 

 the occnrrence of heat and soreness of the skin, it is suf- 

 fused with red patches and black spots, the former disap- 

 pearing on pressure, the latter not. The tongue is thickly 

 furred, the pulse small, weak, and rapid, the breathing ac- 

 celerated and a hard dry cough is frequent. Sickness and 

 vomiting may be present, the animal grunts or screams if 

 the belly is handled, the bowels may be costive throughout, 

 but more commonly they become relaxed about the third 

 day and an exhausting foetid diarrhoea ensues. Lymph and 

 blood may pass with the dung. Before death the patient 

 loses control of the hind limbs and is often sunk in complete 

 stupor, with muscular trembling, jerking, and involuntary 

 motions of the bowels. The lymphatic glands swell in all 

 cases. 



Causes. It is propagated by contagion, though faults in 

 diet and management may prove accessory. The poison 



