254 
DISEASED SWINE.-DISEASED HORSES 
here, but there is too much dissipation and uncertain¬ 
ty among them. Land is very cheap, and thousands of 
acres that could be purchased. If they are opposed to 
slavery, they need not have any here unless they wish 
it Persons travelling here should leave the river 
and cities, and mix among the farmers and country 
folks, if they wish to form correct opinions of the 
South. We have as line society here as I ever found 
anywhere, and more hospitable people I never saw. 
Centreville , Miss , July 1, 1845. E. J. C. 
DISEASED SWINE. 
Having suffered some inconvenience, and consider¬ 
able loss by a disease among my swine, entirely un¬ 
like anything I have before seen, and being entirely 
ignorant what medicine to administer, or remedy to 
apply, I am induced to address you on the subject. 
My old hogs, and even pigs not more than two 
months old, have all been attacked with something 
like the staggers, though different, I imagine, in some 
particulars, from that disease. It first evinces itself 
by a weakness in the loins, which occasions a great 
difficulty in their walking. In the course of one or 
two days, a hard swelling is seen on the outer side 
of the ancle joints of both hind legs, which seems 
to contract the muscles below the ancle, and ren¬ 
ders their feet entirely useless, so that they can only 
move, except they drag their hind parts. There is 
also a film over their eyes, which affects their 
sight, though it is not entirely destroyed. In all 
other parts and respects they appear as usual, having 
a good appetite till within a few hours of their death, 
which in some takes place in two or three days, in 
others, many weeks. Some have recovered in part; 
but they are ever afterward troubled with a weakness 
in the loins, and a stiffness in the ancles. 
C. L. Brayton. 
St. Lucie, E. F., June 17,1845. 
The above disease we think proceeds from the 
kidney worm, or an affection of the kidneys. It is 
very rare that it can be entirely cured; our corre¬ 
spondent must therefore endeavor to prevent it. 
Keeping swine in close pens or yards, particularly in 
a hot climate, is injurious, and, if possible, they 
should always have a range of a few acres of enclo¬ 
sure, where there are thick shade trees and running 
water. If these are not to be obtained, cheap shelter 
from the sun must be made, and water in abundance 
supplied for drink, together with a load of charcoal or 
chunks of rotten wood, to eat as they please. If 
there be no grass in the pasture, a little green food of 
any kind, should be daily given them, when not fat¬ 
ting, such as cut grass, clover, corn stalks, or vege¬ 
tables, of any kind, which are as easily raised at the 
South, in their season, as at the North. This treat¬ 
ment will prevent all diseases we know of, except 
that of the kidneys. To prevent this, a pint to a 
quart of lye per week, should be given in the food 
of each animal according to its size or age, if the dis¬ 
ease is apprehended. If not, a dose of this kind once 
a fortnight or month, will answer. Half this quan¬ 
tity of ashes will answer the same purpose as lye. A 
tea-spoonful or two of saltpetre is also very good. 
Corn may be soaked in lye, and then fed to swine ; 
but they must be pretty hungry before they will 
eat it. 
When attacked by the kidney worm, or disease as 
above described by our correspondent, dose the first 
day with lye, ashes, or saltpetre, as here stated, re¬ 
peating daily, till cured, only about one-quarter the 
first day’s prescription. If the animal stales profuse¬ 
ly, reduce the' lye and saltpetre to one-half or one- 
fourth of the amount of this prescription. We have 
also found a table-spoonful to a gill of spirits turpen¬ 
tine effectual, and rubbing the same quantity, or even 
more, on the back and loins. Calomel is often admin¬ 
istered in doses twice as large and in the same manner 
as would be given to the human subject. But this is 
a dangerous remedy, and we are extremely adverse to 
its use on any occasion whatever, believing that we 
have substitutes for it, divested of its poisonous and 
injurious latent effects upon the system. 
DISEASED HORSES. 
There is perhaps no subject less understood by 
the farmers in this country, than the nature and cure 
of diseases among their stock. The veterinary art is 
practised, with very few exceptions, by persons 
wholly unqualified, either by education or experience, 
for the vocation ; hence, the reluctance that many 
have to entering upon it. I had occasion a few days 
since to call on a man who had studied at a 
Veterinarian School in Edinburgh, Scotland, and had 
practised the art for several years before coming to the 
United States. He brought with him here a diploma 
and good recommendations. On asking him why he 
had given up the practice, he replied, because there 
are so many quacks in the business in this country, 
mostly from Europe, it has become very disreputable, 
and nearly every one who employs me suspects 
equally my capacity and honesty. Books on this 
subject are extremely scarce among farmers, and 
many of them worthless. There ought and must be 
a remedy for all this. If every farmer would note 
down the history of any uncommon occurrence which 
takes place among cattle, horses, sheep, swine, or 
fowls; describing, as near as possible, the nature of 
the disease; its origin and cause; together with the 
manner and means made use of to effect a cure, and 
the final result of his practice in so doing, together 
with his own remarks and observations, as well as 
those of other men of sense and experience, where a 
cure has been effected in similar cases, it would 
throw much light upon subjects where darkness and 
obscurity now pervade. 
In September, 1842, I was requested to take charge 
of a stud of horses, consisting of mares and colts, 
thirteen in number. I found them in their pasture, 
suffering with a disease showing itself in the follow¬ 
ing manner : Some had swelled tongues with blis¬ 
tered spots upon them, with canker and blisters upon 
the lips, so that they could eat nothing except a 
mash made of wheat bran and shorts, and only 
enough of this to keep them from starving. Others 
had a fester at the crown of the hoof, running from 
corner to corner, and opening a sore between the 
hoof and ham an inch wide, with the fore leg swoll¬ 
en to the shoulder. Others were affected in the same 
way on the hind foot, with leg swollen to the hip; 
and, if a horse, the sheath also badly swollen. The 
first thing I did was to gargle the mouth with a swab 
dipped in a solution of chloride of lime, washing the 
swollen limbs with warm soap suds for an hour or 
more to each limb, then bathing the part where a 
suppuration had taken place with water, in which 
