The Democratic advocate., 1883-01-20
Ghe 4armer.
Indigestion of Pigs.

1t is not general practice with farmers
to give salt to pigs or to mix it in their
food Salt is no more injurious to pig
than to a person. The stomach of pig
and its digestive functions are more like
those of human being than are those OF
almost any other animal. A hungry pig
would probably eat enough to injure itself
if its food was strongly mixed with salt,
just as hungry man would be likely to eat
too much of salted fish or meat. Salt is
used to make human food more palatable,
and seems necessary to supply the wastes
to the system caused by the animal secre-
tions. The instincts of horses and rumi-
mating animals lead them to desire salt.
Hence in wild state they seek for salt
springs or clicks" where they may satisfy
this natural craving, and in domesticated
condition it should always be accessible to
them, and then they never will injure them
selves by eating too much of it. Pigs do
not seem to have this natural craving for
salt to the same extent as other ANIMALS,
but have known them to eat it when given
to them while in pasture, and also while
confined in pens, and [ have made it a
practice to put salt where pigs could help
themselves to it. When pigs are fed cook
ed food of and kind, and especially vegeta
bles, the food can be improved and made
more palatable, so that the appetite may
not flag, by moderately sailing it. The
proportions of salt should be the same as
for human food Too little attention is
usually given by farmers to the stomachs
of pigs. They are expected to cat any
thing and everything, or perhaps to live
long time on only one kind of food. This
want of attention is the cause of frequent
diseases among pigs, chief of which are
diarrhea and constipation. Regular feed
ing of salt in moderate quantity and of sui
phur, with an occasional feeding Of char
coal (once a week, will serve to make a
good appetite, promote digestion, and pre-
vent disturbance of the bowels, which is
more likely to occur without these precau-
tions. The health and digestion of pigs
would undoubtedly be promoted If they
had access to prepared chalk or if a small
amount of magnesia was given them IN
their food Pigs suffer much from lndl-
gestion, caused by over-eating, and if they
had the remedies accessible their instincts
would teach them to make use of them and
thus prevent the frequent result-dlar-
rhea In summer time, when pigs have
access to the ground, they cure themselves,
or, in other words, prevent diseases OF the
stomach by eating grass, which is laxative,
or earth, rotten wood or bits of charcoal,
which seem to check this condition or to
prevent extremes. The best medicine for
any animal is preventive, hence their food
and surroundings should be such as to pro-
mote health. The opposite is too frequent
ly the case, as they are often kept in filth,
and their food is prepared for them re-
gardless of sanitary laws, their physical
wants or natural instincts. This inconsist-
ency is all the more remarkable when we
consider that pigs are always reared only
for human food. and are the most liable OF
almost all animals to possess parasites IN
their bodies, and are susceptible of a great
variety of diseases, and among them those
of a scrofulous nature, which may be trans
mitted to the human family when the pork
is eaten | never eat random pork, as l.
am afraid of it. When carefully raised and
properly fattened, however, pig meat is
healthful food. The omnivorous nature of
pigs makes them more dangerous for food
than beef or mutton, as neat cattle or sheep
will not naturally eat anything but grain
or vegetables, while pigs are kept sometimes
on putrid food or the refuse Of slaughter
houses. Cattle may be taught to subsist
on fish and be made to consume swill, but
the number of such animals which are
turned into beef in this country is extreme
ly limited, while ''swill'' hogs are much
more plentiful 4 butcher or any person
who cuts up such animals can readily dis
tinguish them, as the flesh is soft and fab
by. 1t should be made misdcmeanor to
sell such meat, as it is not healthful food.
Pigs from the country are almost always
fattened on grain, and the frmer the flesh
the nearer it is to perfection and health
G0yresD0ndeace Rurdi Nca0 Yorker.