Page:The Hog.djvu/113

111 It is often difficult to determine what are the precise causes of epilepsy; the immediate one is generally some excitant or stimulant acting on a system predisposed by cerebral inflammation, or by intestinal irritation arising from worms, or other sources, to take on disease.

We quote a case communicated by Mr. Cartwright, of Whitchurch, to whom we are indebted for much useful information relative to the diseases of swine:—

"In 1825, I saw a pig that was taken ill in the following manner: He was a little stupid and dull, and now wandered about the sty unconsciously for a few minutes, and then appeared to be quite well; but in a few days after he became worse: he would rove forwards until he came to one wall, and then retreat backwards until he came to the other wall; and made a grunting and squealing noise all the time the fit was on him, which was usually a few minutes, and sometimes longer; and he had them every quarter of an hour, and even oftener. His fits continued to increase; when he had been thus for about five days he began, after so backing himself, to fall down at full length, stretch out his legs and tumble about, and appear as if dying, and make a shrieking noise as if in great pain, and seem to be blind. His pulse was very quick and full during the fits, but subsided a great deal when they were over. He ate at intervals between the fits when food was put to him. He continued in this latter bad state for three or four days, and got well in a few days after. I gave him salts and calomel during his illness, bled him in the tail and ears, and between his claws; but little blood, I fancy, was obtained from all the places; and I kept his head wet with cold water.

"About the same time a miller in this neighborhood lost five or six in a similar way, but I had not an opportunity of opening any of them."

This is by no means a disease of frequent occurrence in our own country. It is treated of by French writers, who attribute it to low, marshy situations, bad or damaged food, or the avarice of the pig-owner, who, in order to fatten the animals more rapidly, gives them highly stimulating food, which irritates the intestinal canal, and through it the spinal cord. Eric Viborg, an authority quoted by Hurtrel D'Arboval, recommends wholesome food, clean straw, a dose of common salt as a purgative, and drenches of common salt and gentian.

But there is a kind of partial palsy which is caused by the presence of cysticercus cellulosa, a hydatid peculiar to the pig. M. Dupuy gives the following case which came under his observation:— "Palsy of the hind limbs, with loss both of motion and feeling