SCABIES IN THE CAT. 177 



fortnight to a month. It is not yet known whether the 

 malady is communicable to other animals. 



Sarcoptes cati is the smaller of the burowing mites in- 

 ducing scabies in animals. It would appear to live on 

 different feline animals, to be capable of inducing a tempor- 

 ary eruption on the skin of man, and to give rise to some 



Fig. 193. (GEKLACH.)- Sarcoptes cati. 



symptoms in the horse and dog; but cattle and sheep 

 remain unaffected, though the parasite be placed on their 

 skin. 



PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF SCABIES. 



Before proceeding to the enumeration of remedies for the 

 treatment of scabies, I think it proper to allude to general 

 measures for the prevention of the disease. Whatever may 

 be the form of scabies, it cannot originate spontaneously, 

 and contagion is the all-potent influence which leads to the 

 spread of the disorder. To the agricultural community the 

 prevention of scab in sheep is a matter of great moment, and 

 the Act for the Prevention of Contagious Diseases, which 

 came into operation in 1 848, especially refers to this malady. 

 Notwithstanding this, a flock of sheep cannot enter some of 

 VOL. ii. 3 F 



