DISEASES OF THE SWINE
General [General] This is a dangerous disease, and very often ends in death. The following are the symptoms: the animal suddenly appears to be dejected and restless; it totters, hangs down the head, and frequently shakes it; kicks with the hind feet and trembles over its entire body; the breathing is loud, wheezing, and difficult; the animal takes in the air by the mouth, and holds the tongue hanging out of the mouth. There is great heat, especially in the mouth. The eyes are red, the tongue a little swollen, deglutition is performed with difficulty, and sometimes vomiting is observed to take place. Whilst these symptoms are becoming developed, there is observed to come on the larynx, a hard, tense and hot swelling, which makes rapid progress, and extends along the neck
as far as the chest, even to the abdomen; this swelling, which is at first red or of a reddish brown colour, assumes a leaden or even a bluish tint on the approach of death, as in St. Anthony’s Fire, to which the symptoms of Angina bear some analogy, which frequently causes the two diseases to be confounded. The interior of the mouth and nose also appears to be very red, the animal protrudes the head directly forwards, the voice becomes more and more hoarse, deglutition more and more difficult; generally the above symptoms are accompanied with a distressing cough and great thirst. This disease generally attacks a number of pigs about the same time, and during the summer season. I once saw a number of pigs attacked with this disease, a few days after eating a quantity of horse flesh; they had a heap of salts and sulphur, and madder, given them; they were bled, and they had a place cut in their ears, and a piece of hellebore put in, but they all died.
REMEDIES: Aconite, Arsenicum, Belladonna, Hepar sulphur and Spongia.
Aconite [Acon] Aconite must be given first, and if administered at the very onset, it will often remove the entire symptoms, without having recourse to any other remedy.
Dose. Three drops every four hours until better.
Arsenicum [Ars] Arsenicum may be given when there is great thirst, eyes red, and the whole body of a burning heat.
Dose. The same as above recommended
. Belladonna [Bell] Belladonna and Hepar sulphur may be given in alternation when the swelling continues to increase, and is of a dark colour; coughing, retching.
Dose. Three drops three times a day.
Spongia [Spong] Spongia may be given if the breathing is difficult, and there is danger of suffocation.
Dose. The same as directed for Aconite.
