52 8\VINE PRAC.'TJCE 



toxication or irritation induced, by intestinal parasites. Vieiousness 

 in boars is sometimes classed as a disturbance of cerebral function. 

 Epilepsy or a closely allied condition has been observed in swine. 

 This condition is characterized by restlessness, muscular tremors, 

 champing of the teeth, falling and extension and frequent jerking of 

 the legs and head. A condition designated as dentition eclampsia 

 sometimes occurs in pigs and is apparently the result of irritation 

 due to eruption of teeth. Chorea may occur in swine. So-called 

 blind staggers has also been observed in swine. 



Swine may be tested for tuberculosis, the intradermal test being 

 the one commonly applied to swine. The tuberculin is injected into 

 the skin of the ear on the posterosuperior surface. 



Rabies is not uncommon in swine. The usual disturbances of the 

 nervous system that characterize the disease are observed in these 

 animals. 



Autopsy 



An autopsy is a systematic examination of the various organs and 

 tissues of a cadaver made for the purpose of determining the cause 

 of death. Autopsy, postmortem and necropsy are synonymous terms 

 and are used interchangeably. 



The value of autopsy findings cannot be overestimated. Symp- 

 toms of several infective diseases of swine are so similar that it is 

 not possible to make a differential diagnosis without an autopsy. 

 The successful practitioners verify their clinical diagnoses bj^ the 

 lesions evidenced in autopsies. Many practitioners have needlessly 

 immunized hogs against hog cholera, without beneficial results, be- 

 cause the symptoms manifested were similar to the symptoms of hog 

 cholera, but had an autopsy been made a i^roper diagnosis would 

 have been established and the swine owner saved the expense incurred 

 by immunization. Excepting in extraordinary cases, it is inadvis- 

 able to make a positive diagnosis of any infective disease of swine, 

 without the knowledge gained by a careful autopsy. In conducting 

 autopsies, it is advisable to follow some definite plan which will 

 facilitate the work and preserve the knowledge obtained in tangible 

 form. 



OBTAIN PERJIISSION AND AUTHORITY 



Before beginning an autopsy permission should be obtained from 

 the owner of the animal, and one should be certain that there are 

 no laws prohibiting a postmortem examination in such cases. 



