144 MANUAL FOR STABLE SERGEANTS. 



Symptoms. — The skin is hot, painful, and more or less swollen. 

 It may crack, and on it little blisters may form, followed by an oily 

 fetid exudate. There is usually lameness. 



Treatment. — Rest; bran mashes; grass, etc.; potassium nitrate, 2 

 drams in drinking water morning and evening. 



Cleanse the diseased parts with castile eoap and water, dry, and 

 apply a ivMte lotion pack twice daily; or, the following preparation 

 may be used : 



Ounce. 



Tincture iodine 1 



Tincture chloride of iron 1 



Glycerine 1 



Mix. Apply twice a day. 



When the parts become dry, hard, and scabby, oxide of zinc oint- 

 ment may be applied once or twice daily. When the parts are moist 

 or oily, dry dressings, such as oxide of zinc, boric acid, or iodoform, 

 either powdered on loosely or held in place by a piece of cotton and 

 a bandage, may be used. 



442. Grease (fig. 49). — A chronic inflammation of the skin of 

 the back part of the pastern and fetlock. 



Causes. — The disease usually results from a neglected case of 

 scratches. (See Causes, par. 441.) 



Symptoms. — Skin red, swollen, painful and hot, and later covered 

 with blisters which break and discharge a thin, yellowish fluid. 

 The hairs may be matted together or they may fall out. In the 

 course of a few days the liquid from the blisters decomposes, result- 

 ing in the formation of a dirty, doughy, stinking deposit. If not 

 properly treated, wartlike growths, varying in size from that of a 

 pea to a grape may be formed. This is called the grapy stage, and 

 the growths themselves are called grapes. 



The affected leg is more or less swollen, and lameness is usually 

 well marked. 



Treatment. — In the first stages the treatment is the same as for 

 scratches. (See par. 441.) When grapes appear they must be 

 nipped off with the sciasors and their bases burnt with copper sul- 

 phate or laiiar caustic, after which the treatment is the same as for 

 resh wounds. 



443. Urticaria (nettlerash).^ — A disease characterized by the 

 sudden appearance of roundish shallow elevations on the skin. 



Causes. — Sudden changes of weather; unwholesome food; sudden 

 changes of food ; irritating substances to the skin, such as turpentine, 



