Page:The Hog.djvu/136

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134
THE HOG.

worms, and although to many of our domesticated animals a dangerous medicine, it may be administered with perfect safety to the hog. Common salt may be also given with advantage, and should be mingled with the food. Nor must it be supposed that because no worms are seen to come away from the animal the treatment may be discontinued, or that there are none; hundreds of them die in the intestines, and there become digested and decomposed, and go through the same processes as the food.

THE BLADDER.

This organ seems to be but little subject to disease in swine. Its position beneath the rectum and genital organs contained in the pelvic cavity protects it in all animals from external injuries; and the pig not being exposed to those causes which render the horse and dog peculiarly liable to disease of the bladder, namely, speed, long and fatiguing exercises, &c., seems to be comparatively exempt from it.

There is, however, a case narrated in the " Veterinarian," by Mr. Reid, V. S., which we shall quote.

VESICAL CALCULI.

"A barrow-pig that to the seventh month had manifested perfect health, from that period fell rapidly away (although its appetite remained unimpaired,) so much so in fact that in two months more it was a mere bag of bones, and the owner had it destroyed. He attributed this decline to a difficulty in passing its urine, which distressed the animal to such a degree that every time it wanted to stall it quite moaned with pain, rolling upon its back, arising, and again posturing itself for stalling, arching its spine, and making violent efforts, which too often were ineffectual. At other times, and indeed oftenest. he after much straining succeeded in passing a little urine, but this was speedily followed by fresh efforts. Occasionally, after having rolled about and laid on its back, it obtained relief by a flow of urine in a full stream. The urine was at all times perfectly clear."

This account was sufficient to draw Mr. Reid's attention to the presence of vesical calculi. He regretted that he had not been called in during the life of the animal, that he might have made it the subject of operation, and requested permission to examine the carcass.

The bladder was half full of limpid urine, in which floated the stone. The internal coat of the bladder about the inferior part exhibited slight blushes of inflammation. All around the neck it was deeply inflamed, and thence the reddening spread about an inch into the urethra. The peritoneum also exhibited a light tint.