318 Hairless Pig Malady. I 
parts of oats, and 33 parts of clover. Again, hairless and dead 
pigs were born. In the fourth gestation period potassium iodide 
at the rate of 10 gm. per 100 pounds of feed was given with the 
above ration,—33 parts of corn, 33 parts of oats, and 33 parts of 
clover. On this ration normal, vigorous and healthy offspring 
were produced. The thyroids from the pigs born in. the third 
gestation were large, weighed 2 to 3 gm. fresh, and contained no 
iodine. In the fourth gestation, the fresh thyroids of 1 day old 
pigs weighed from 0.250 to 0.4 gm. and contained 0.3 to 0.4 per 
cent of iodine in the dry material. 
The proportion of potassium iodide fed was arbitrarily chosen 
and possibly less would adequately correct the trouble. Marine 
and Kimball® say that 1 mg. of iodine given weekly by mouth 
is ample to prevent goiter in dogs. The rate of 10 gm. per 100 
pounds of feed is equivalent to approximately 0.016 per cent of 
iodine, which is much more than is contained in natural feeds 
and which can give successful reproduction. If, however, it 
should be found wise to insure our herds of breeding swine against 
this trouble, it can be done at the present price of potassium 
iodide (7 dollars per kilo) for 30 cents per head and used during 
the full gestation period, 
After observing these first results with 15 per cent of alfalfa 
in the ration and a high protein intake during the growing period, 
we believed that it would be a simple matter to produce enlarged 
thyroids and hairless pigs by feeding almost any combination 
of food materials, particularly from plant sources. Consequently 
sows of 30 to 50 pounds’ weight were started on rations made up 
of 75 parts of corn and 25 parts of alfalfa; 75 parts of rolled oats 
and 25 parts of alfalfa; 75 parts of wheat and 25 parts of alfalfa. 
These animals grew well, although slightly below the normal rate. 
They were fed natural: water as had been the case in all the other 
experiments, but were strictly confined. The first litters of all of 
these sows on these rations were strong and vigorous. There 
was not a scanty hair coat in any of the litters or an enlarged 
thyroid among those examined. The thyroids weighed from 
0.100 to 0.800 gm. fresh and contained 0.25 to 0.40 per cent of 
iodine in the dry material. The feeds were from the same 
6 Marine, D., and Kimball, O. P., J. Lab. and Clin. Med., 1917, iii, 40. 
