BLOOD DISEASE. 
DEATH OF PIGS.- 
447 
regular, and although not so, still I have not known these 
pigs to suffer anything of this kind before. 
I believe I stated in my first communication that Mr. 
Bentley's pigs had at all times the meal first scalded, and then 
allowed to stand and swell, or, in other words, slight fer¬ 
mentation generally was present when it was given to the 
pigs. 
A very strong sow died on Monday at Mr. Hodgson’s, and 
several of her little ones, which she was suckling. She had 
been ill, I should think, a fortnight. Besides those of her litter 
which have died, I saw others on Friday last, which were 
rapidly sinking. . 
OBSERVATIONS. 
Swine hold an important position in the list of domestic 
animals, as they form no inconsiderable item in the nation's 
wealth in supplying a large amount of food for the people. 
Hence their well-being is a matter of national importance. 
They do not, however, like the horse, dog, ox, and some other 
animals, contribute during their life very much to the comfort 
of man, but, rather on the contrary, very often to his discom¬ 
fort. It is, nevertheless, desirable, for the reasons above 
stated, that the veterinary surgeon should know something 
of their habits and idiosyncrasies, so as to be the better able to 
understand the nature of the diseases they are subject to. 
The hog, although wallowing in the filthiest mire, and some¬ 
times feeding upon the most disgusting kinds of food, both 
animal and vegetable, and often when in a decomposed state, 
does not always do so with impunity. I feel persuaded that 
many animals of this class are annually lost from the effects 
of improper food, or from living in an atmosphere surcharged 
with poisonous effluvia, the product of animal or vegetable 
decomposition ; and I think that the owners of pigs often 
make great mistakes in not paying more attention to the 
quality of their food and the condition of their lodgings. 
Decomposing substances, both animal and vegetable, corn 
thnt has undergone a change from long keeping or exposed 
to damp, and which is loaded, perhaps, with the sporules of 
poisonous fungi, the sweepings of warehouses, consisting 
sometimes of agents of an injurious character, brine from the 
meat tub, and salted brewer’s grains, these and other similar 
substances are often given to pigs as food, and in several 
instances have been known to cause very great losses. A 
