CHAPTER XIX. 

 TUBERCULOSIS. 



Tuberculosis is a germ disease and affects swine in a 

 similar manner in which the human family is affected by 

 consumption, which then is simply another term for the 

 same disease. The first external symptom of tuberculosis 

 in swine is that the hog will appear less thrifty and not 

 make as rapid gains. As the disease develops the hog be- 

 comes sick in appearance, ceases to make gains, and then 

 rapidly loses flesh, and finally dies. Frequently tuber- 

 culosis is accompanied by a cough, but very often this is 

 not true. 



This disease is caused by a germ called Bacillus tuber- 

 culosis. The germ is so small that it can float in the air 

 the same as particles of dust, and consequently may be 

 inhaled at any time in places that are affected with this 

 disease. Furthermore, the germs are so small that when 

 once they are taken into the system, they can pass out of 

 the digestive system and out of the circulatory system 

 very freely. As a comparison the tubercle bacillus com- 

 pares in size with the blood cell as a piece of a lead pencil 

 compares in size with an apple. Thus it is seen that the 

 blood vessels which contain the blood cells would not 

 necessarily retain the tubercle bacilli. These are so small 

 that they could readily pass through the meshes of the 

 various tissues of the body. 



The name tuberculosis originated from the fact that 

 when one of these disease germs becomes lodged at any 



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