The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-02-01
z. o. CHESTER.
OUR RURAL TOPICS.


cultural Readers.
It is distressing to the feeder who has
bunch Of hogs nearly ready for market. TO have
them lie down and die by ones, twos, and
threes. This is just what we often see of late
years in the h0g-growing regions We have
improved our hogs, that is, we can fstten as
any age, and have animals of beautiful contour,
but. as with all other improved stock, We must
give them better care than the old-time animal
which ran wild in the woods until two or three
years old, was then caught with dogs, put in
high-rail pen and fattened. The most common
and ordinarily most fatal disease that we have
to contend with is pneumonia, especially in late
Fall and early Spring. A neighbor put of lot
of 30 head that averaged 315 pounds. He got
them through in good condition without loss,
and then put about 40 head of young animals
on full feed to market in April OF May. The
second lot had been up about two weeks The
weather had been cool and dry until we had
three or four days of high wind, first from the
north, then it turned squarely south, but it
chilled both man and beast to the marrow. In
three days some four or Eve of the young hogs
began coughing and later humping, were OF
their feed and feverish. -Four or five years age
this same neighbOr knocked three young hogs
in the head, that were ready to die, and I made
autopsies upon them, all having pneumonia,
and he had since lost several head from the
same cause. After that be was more careful
and has lost very few. Bat the main point il,
that he recognizes the early symptoms, houses
them warmly, and sometimes gives . listIs
medicine.
zf frnos
mOnia is more likely to attack the full-bIooded
fattening hog than the thinner stock hog, and
if the attack is st all severe viii prove fatal in
great majority of cases, unless they receive
the most careful attention in the early stages.
The hacking cough for two or three days. thsa
the humping, caused by the vain attempt 10
fully initiate the lungs, frequent drinking II
they can get to the water, but later they will
not try to rise, but will drink If water is taken
to them. The first thing to dc is to pms them
in a warm, dry place, and apply turpentine to
the sides all along the ribs twice daily "a q
cOunter-irritant, and if the weather is very
cold they should be blsnketed.
If the breathing is very harsh and heavy
what physicians call stertOrous-it is better to
take small bladed, very sharp knife, and
fected side. 1t sometimes, but rarely, affects
both sides) The knife should barely 20
through the skin to draw blood. Hot blankets ri
folded over the side, are very useful in this
stage, as well as earlier. In most cases the only
medicine needed is fluid extract of aconite root
to grown hog, in doses of six to 10 drops every
two hours. If they will drink, put about 50
drops in, say, two gallons of water, and let them
take that in the course of day. This is very
much larger doses than physician would give
to person. but 1 have found that the animal
requires larger doses. But if it is given to the
hog as drench so that it is certain to swallow
the full dose, four to six drops every two hours
or six to 10 drops three times daily, will answer.
If this treatment is followed faithfully, three
fourths of the affected animals will recover in
three to FIVE days. In fact, rarely lose an
animal when the treatment is carried ont. The
animal must be sheltered and given some extra
care for 10 days of two weeks, or until the sup
curative stage is relieved by absorption and the
lung fully clears up. Aside from the external
diagnostic symptoms anyone with good ear
can detect the peculiar sound of Inflammation
of the lung. Hold the ear against the animals
side and if the lung IS inhamed, the sound il
like the cracking of new leather when bent.
The Inflammation may be only three or four
inches in extent, or may involve the greater
part of the lung; oftener than otherwise I
think the lower lobes of the lung, covered BY
the last five or six ribs. Few breeders are pre-
pared with q proper place to take care ofs sick
hog. no matter how valuable. But the careful.
money making farmer knows that hog saved
is better than hog to be raised.-4merieGH A gri-
ettltuFiSt.