SWINE DISEASES AND THEIR CONTROL 187 



to two ounces of castor oil, or two or three ounces of 

 linseed oil, will often relieve the constipation, and in 

 acute cases calomel at the rate of a grain per 25 pounds 

 in weight should relieve the condition in a short while. 

 Under the methods of swine growing which we should 

 adopt in which grazing crops play an important role, 

 trouble from this source becomes almost negligible. 



Diarrhea. — Diarrhea is a common symptom of many 

 diseases affecting the digestive tract. In most cases it 

 is due directly to an irritation, which may be brought 

 about by poisons, or, as is more often the case, it may 

 be due to a bacterial infection. In the case of young pigs 

 it may assume the form of scours, and the discharge may 

 be a grayish liquid, with an offensive odor. This form 

 of scours is generally fatal in quite young pigs, but 

 diarrhea can generally be controlled in older pigs and 

 hogs. The disease is characterized by a gradual loss of 

 appetite, sometimes by fever, and indisposition to ex- 

 ercise, indications of pain and, above all, by the watery 

 nature of the fecal discharge. Diarrhea may result from 

 irritations due to intestinal worms. Indigestion, bacterial 

 infection from putrid feeds, change from dry to green 

 feeds and improper protection from the cold are other 

 causes of diarrhea. The treatment consists in the re- 

 moval of the cause. If the cause is another disease, the 

 other disease should be treated. Light diet, purgatives 

 of castor oil, nitrate of bismuth, opiates, formaldehyde 

 and slaked lime may be indicated. Especially is the lime 

 good where the cause is an acid irritation. 



Thumps — spasm of the diaphragm. — This is quite a 

 common occurrence in pigs, and is the result of an irrita- 



