Hereditary Diseases of Sheep and Pigs. 
41 
intractable kind, often merging into dysentery, and general pros- 
tration of the vital powers. It generally runs its course more 
rapidly than in cattle or sheep, and leaves after death many 
appearances showing that it is a constitutional, and not, as some 
have thought, a local disease. The tubercles and pus arc not 
confined to the lungs, but are also found in the bronchial, mesen- 
teric, and intestinal glands, in the liver, and occasionally in the 
brain. The muscles are soft and blanched, for the system, for 
some time before death, has had at its disposal only small quan- 
tities of very deteriorated blood. This is found tliin, dark- 
coloured, and of a noisome odour. Every one who has had much 
experience in the breeding of pigs must be well aware of the 
hereditary nature of consumption, and many illustrative cases 
could be mentioned. Some years ago it got among the pigs of 
an eminent distiller near this place, who lost several scores by it, 
and got rid of it only after it had continued for several genera- 
tions. We have lately seen it in various degrees of intensity 
among several different stocks, and the owners, intelligent farmers 
of accurate observation and much experience, inform us that 
they have almost always found it strikingly and decidedly here- 
ditary. 
Scrofulous tumours are sometimes met with among pigs. They 
most commonly affect the lymphatic glands lying within the 
angle of the jaw, but sometimes also involve tlie parotid and 
other salivary glands. They are produced by the effusion of 
degenerated lymph, incapable of perfect organisation, and mixed 
up with tuberculous matter. The swelling, at first small, hard, 
and painless, gradually increases in size, and softens. The skin 
overlying it ulcerates, and a yellow semifluid flaky matter is 
poured out. The wound is unhealthy, surrounded ))y soft granu- 
lations, difficult to heal, and when healed apt to l>reak out again. 
These local symptoms are often accompanied by some of the 
usual constitutional symptoms of scrofula, as impairment of diges- 
tion and assimilation. 
There is a curious accident to which pigs of a delicate and 
scrofulous constitution are occasionally liable, viz. dropping away 
of the tail. The writer is acquainted with the case of a breed 
affected in this way, a considerable portion of the tail gradually 
separating by ulceration, and leaving a stump usually somewhat 
less than an inch long. This occurs almost always when the 
pigs are about six weeks old, and has now continued for a good 
many generations. 
Cancerous tumours are said sometimes to occur in pigs. In 
other animals, as in cattle, these tumours are of a very malignant 
kind, cause much pain and constitutional derangement, and rapid 
