218 



SWINE PRACTICE 



in the long bones of the legs, which are bent or curved, the animal 

 being "bow legged." The bones are soft and so spongy that they 

 may be cut readily with a knife. The epiphyses of the long bones 

 are enlarged and irregularly club-shaped, while the shaft is also 

 irregularly thickened. There is a subperiosteal, spongy layer. The 

 yellow marrow is red in color and is of a gelatinous consistency. 

 There may be ulceration of articular surfaces, and the flat bones of 

 the cranium and pelvis may be thickened and rarefied. The nares 

 and mouth may be practically obliterated by the enlarged rarefied 

 nasal bones and hard palate; the teeth may appear deep-set on ac- 

 count of the tumefaction of the alveolar tissue. In advanced cases, 



Photo by F. V. Brown. 



Pig. 44. BACHiTis. Hind quarters badly affected. 



lesions may be found elsewhere causing disturbances of the digestive 

 or respiratory system. 



Symptoms. — The fyrst evidence of the disease is weakness, dimin- 

 ished or depraved appetite, and diarrhea. But lameness or stiffness 

 of gait succeeded by bending or arching of the bones is the first 

 positive indication of rickets. At this stage the lying posture is 

 almost continuously assumed. "When the affected animals are made 

 to arise they complain of pain by grunting and squealing, and not 

 infrequently they will walk on the carpal joints. There may be 

 nervous disturbances evidenced by dizziness, somnolence, and con- 

 vulsions. As the disease progresses the enlarged epiphyses become 

 evident and appear as a swollen condition of the articulation. Sim- 



