224 DISEASES OF THE HOG. 
There is a marked weakness of the hind legs; the 
animal staggers, its legs crossing each other, but 
differs from paralysis in its being able to move 
them until the last. Some time before death there 
are patches on the skin of a bluish or purplish 
color, especially on the inside of hind legs. If 
these patches are pressed they will become pale, 
which does not occur in other diseases where the 
skin becomes discolored, such as in erysipelas. 
The temperature of the body is at first increased, 
but soon falls below normal, and I have seen in a 
few cases, dark blood oozing through the skin. In 
a number of cases the animal dies in from three to 
six hours, others live for several days. Although 
an animal may die in from three to six hours from 
the time it is first noticed to be sick, there is no 
doubt but what the animal has been ailing more or 
less for several days before it is actually taken 
down sick. I have made post-mortem examinations 
of pigs, which, to.all appearance, seemed well; but 
on opening them, all the characteristics of the dis- 
ease were present in an undeveloped form. It is 
necessary to make a post-mortem of the first hog 
that dies to enable us to form a correct opinion as 
to the nature of the disease. 
Post-mortem appearance: On removing the skin 
there is usually found an accumulation of serum 
often mixed with blgod, causing red or black spots; 
this is the result of the plugging and rupture of 
small blood vessels. I have seen some cases which 
resembled that which is produced when a hog has 
been roughly handled on being shipped. In most 
