DISMASES OF THD HOG. 127 
never detected a case of it. A pig may have this 
trouble and still take on fat, and as it is a disease 
which is slow in producing bad symptoms, the pig 
is sent to market before it would likely be detected. 
I have seen some hearts of pigs which were killed 
for pork and also died from other diseases which 
had enlarged or dilated hearts. If we did detect 
such a case treatment would be of no service. 
FUNCTIONAL OR NERVOUS DISEASES OF THE HEART. 
The only one in the pig which will come under 
this head is palpitation of the heart (thumps). This 
term is given when the pulsations of the heart are 
inordinate and can be perceived by the observer. 
It is a very common and fatal disease in the pig. 
Causes: Palpitation is rather the result of a 
disease than a disease itself. It is usually caused 
by an unhealthy state of the blood which may be 
either too rich and abundant, causing plethora, or 
have too much water or be otherwise depraved, as 
in anemia. The true causes are therefore such as 
produce either of those conditions. It may also in 
some cases be caused by a deranged state of the 
stomach. It is frequently the result of rheumatic 
irritation affecting the heart through the nerves. 
Worms in the intestines will sometimes produce 
it. The most frequent cause of this disease in the 
pig is a morbid condition of the system, the result 
of feeding too much corn or food deficient in nitro- 
gen. 
Symptoms: The pulsations are increased in fre- 
quency or in force or both; they are sometimes 
& 
