DISEASES OF THE HOG, 143 
CHAPTER XV. 
SKIN DISEASE. 
The skin on the animal’s body serves as a pro- 
tection to the soft structures beneath it, also to 
prevent noxious materials from passing into the 
tissue beneath it; it also allows the escape of waste 
substances from the body. There is very little per- 
spiration exudes through the pores of the hog’s skin 
and therefore this animal suffers from heat and 
seeks the mud puddle or water hole on a hot day 
to cool himself. If a pig is driven fast on a hot day 
it will be seen to open its mouth and protrude its 
tongue in order to cool off. On this account pigs 
should be sheltered from the heat of the sun and 
if possible should have a good clean mud puddle to 
wallow in; what is meant by clean mud is where | 
the water in it is fresh, not stagnant or of a yellow- 
ish green color; such muddy pools are full of mi- 
crobes which may in some cases find their way into 
the animal’s body and cause disease. Still, from 
practical experience, I think the heat of the sun 
will do more harm to the health of the hog than 
wallowing in a stagnant pool. If from disease of 
the skin or other causes the pores should become 
blocked up the animal is liable to suffer more or 
