442 
GASTRO-ENTERITIC FEVER IN PIGS. 
saved us the trouble of putting an end to his sufferings, as he 
dropped suddenly, in consequence of some excitement, and died. 
Post-mortem appearances . — A portion of yellow serous fluid was 
found in the abdomen. The stomach, spleen, and kidneys were 
perfectly healthy, but the lymphatic and mesenteric glands through 
the whole length of the intestines were enlarged, and apparently 
altered in texture. The stomach and intestines were full of well- 
assimilated food, in rather an unusual pulpy state. The chest 
contained a small quantity of fluid. The lungs presented a slight 
thickening in parts of their substance. The pericardium was par- 
tially filled with fluid ; but the most remarkable appearance was 
that of the thymus gland, which occupied the whole of the chest 
anterior to the heart, and was strongly adherent to the pericardial 
sac and the pleura costalis on each side of the chest, and when 
taken out weighed twenty pounds. The glands at the bifurcation 
of the trachea were also much enlarged. 
Query : Does the extensive disease of this gland, which doubt- 
less had been long in existence, throw any light upon its con- 
nexion with the lymphatic system, which appeared more or less 
affected ? 
GASTRO-ENTERITIC FEVER IN PIGS. 
By Mr. T. Mayer, Sen., Newcastle-under- Line. 
Dear Sir, — A butcher, resident in this town, bought five small 
pigs from a neighbouring gentleman. After having them three 
weeks confined in a pig-sty where the air was foul, and keeping 
them upon impure wash and the offal of his slaughter-house, 
they began to droop, and lose their appetite. The bowels became 
constipated, the faeces being hard and scybalous ; tremulous fits 
and spasmodic twitchingsof the muscles came on in two of them — 
one of the worst having not less than thirty or forty fits in the 
twenty-four hours, accompanied with a champing and foaming 
of the mouth. At the period of attack they kept backing invo- 
luntarily, till they tumbled over backward. When moving for- 
ward, they reeled and staggered, unconscious where they were 
going, until they got their snouts fixed in a corner, where they 
would remain supporting and steadying themselves a short time. 
One died the second day after we saw them ; the other was 
pitched upon the dung-hill to be buried, the butcher conceiving 
it was dead. He sent them both up to our establishment to be 
opened ; but my son found that there was slight animation left in 
one, from a slight twitching of his extremities, and the breathing 
being just perceptible. I name these circumstances for the be- 
