336 



Swine-Fever. 



[august, 



3. In the third class of outbreak the symptoms, as a 

 rule, are not marked. One or two deaths may occur, but 

 frequently the only indication that anything is amiss is an 

 appearance of unthriftiness in a number of the pigs. The 

 absence of deaths often misleads the owner regarding the 

 real cause of the trouble, and it cannot be too strongly insisted 

 that general unthriftiness in a number of pigs should excite 

 suspicion, at least, of swine-fever. It has been mentioned 

 that the outbreak of medium severity may ultimately assume 

 the characters of the class under description, but many out- 

 breaks exhibit those of the third class from the beginning. 

 Sometimes the owner's attention is only first seriously 

 aroused by a high mortality taking place among his young 

 pigs, particularly amongst those which have just been weaned. 

 Such a mortality should immediately arouse suspicion, and 

 advice should be sought from the authorities in accordance 

 with the Swine-Fever Order. It is quite common for owners 

 to assert that their young pigs have been overlaid, when 

 in reality they have died of swine-fever. This is the class 

 of outbreak most difficult to deal with, since it is the 

 hardest to locate, and frequently the pigs from the premises 

 are sent to markets, or sold directly to other owners, in the 

 belief that, even if they are a little unthrifty, they are none 

 the less free from swine-fever. The affected pigs which 

 come in this class are usually the older ones, and they may 

 even appear quite fat and healthy looking. Pigs aged three 

 and four months, however, may also be concerned, though 

 usually this class of animal shows distinct signs of unthrifti- 

 ness and frequently pain in the joints. In the older and 

 apparently healthy animals a death may take place quite 

 suddenly owing to some complication, and the owner may 

 be misled into believing that his animal has died of poisoning, 

 errors in feeding, or some other cause about which he has no 

 definite information. 



In all classes of outbreaks the true nature of the trouble 

 may be masked by symptoms of pneumonia (inflammation of 

 the lungs) ; some of the most fatal outbreaks are ushered in 

 by an acute and iatal form of pneumonia. A number of 

 deaths from pneumonia should always arouse suspicion, and 

 lead to advice being sought. From what has been said above, 



