216 SWINE PRACTICE 



Lesions. — The manifestations of this disease are variable and de- 

 pend upon the number and virulence of the infe.cting organism and 

 their location in the body. The typical lesions consist of omphalitis 

 and suppurative arthritis. Inflammation of the umbilical vessels 

 may be limited or there may be an accumulation of pus, the inflam- 

 mation being a typical suppuration and abscess formation. The 

 lesions of tlie joints are variable. There may be a mild synovitis with 

 limited or extensive infiltration and tumefaction of the structures 

 surrounding the synovial membrane, in which case the synovial 

 membrane is injected and tumefied. There is an increased amount 

 of fluid and it will be turbid and perhaps contain flakes of coagu- 

 lated material. In other instances the synovial membrane will be 

 distended with accumulated pus and surrounding tissues may also be 

 infiltrated with pus. 



Metastatic abscesses may occur in various organs, as in the liver 

 and spleen. If the infection extend to the bladder there will also be 

 a purulent cystitis. 



Symptoms. — The symptoms usually appear in the first week of life, 

 although they may occur in the second or third week after farrowing. 

 The affected pigs will be lame and indisposed to move. On examina- 

 tion one or more qf the articulations are found to be swollen and 

 sensitive, the tarsal joints being most frequently involved. There 

 may be diarrhea. The course of the disease is usually brief, the pigs 

 as a rule dyijig on the second or third day. 



Treatment. — Curative treatment is not satisfactory. The disease 

 "can be controlled by the rigid application of sanitation. The farrow- 

 ing houses and pens must be kept clean and all sows with affected 

 pigs must be kept isolated. Some practitioners have reported good 

 results by the use of a mixed bacterin, g-iving one or two doses to the 

 sow during the last stages of pregnancy. 



RICKETS 



Rickets is a diseas<' characterized by diminished calcification in the 

 bones. This is essentially a disease of young animals. It is rela- 

 tively cumnion in pigs. Rickets is more prevalent in some localities 

 than in others, and it appears to prevail more extensively during 

 some years than others. Single cases may occur on a premise, but 

 it is not unusual for 5 to 40 per cent of all suckling pigs on a farm 



