SWINE DISEASES AND THEIR CONTROL 179 



degeneration of the heart. Such diseases as pleurisy, hog 

 cholera, pneumonia and rheumatism may give rise to 

 inflammation of the tissues around the heart. Genera] 

 blood and heart diseases are indicated by high fever, 

 weak, quick and irregular pulse, with indications of pain. 

 Treatment of diseases of the circulatory system is usually 

 unsatisfactory and should be preventive rather than 

 curative. 



Septicaemia (blood poisoning). — This trouble can be 

 suspected where an operation has been performed, after 

 a difficult farrowing, or following a bruise or injury. In 

 the case of internal abscesses it occurs without apparent 

 external symptoms : Fever, loss of appetite, muscular 

 tremors, stupidity and weakness are the usual symptoms. 

 The disease is due to absorption of the toxic substances 

 produced by the bacteria. As a usual thing the infection 

 comes from an external wound or bruise, but in the case 

 of abscesses septicaemia may result from pyogenic bacteria 

 or abscesses in different parts of the body, which ab- 

 scesses may or may not become apparent on the surface. 

 The treatment is preventive. Wounds should be kept in 

 such condition as not to predispose to infection. Closed 

 abscesses and wounds should be opened and cleansed 

 and washed with a solution of boric acid, hydrogen per- 

 oxide or other disinfectants. Diseased individuals should 

 be separated from the herd and given nutritious and 

 easily digested feeds, and in some cases tonics may be 

 advisable. 



Fatty degeneration of the heart. — This disease occurs 

 not infrequently under lot-feeding conditions where ex- 

 tensive use is made of corn. It is due to over-feeding with 



