INDEX OF DISEASES AND REMEDIES 759 



ECTHYMA continued. 



Mineral acids, iron salts, bitters, arsenic, act as antiseptics and altera- 

 tives. 



Pustules treated by water dressing, boric acid, zinc oxide ointment, or 

 by cauterisation. 



Contagious ; hence patients isolated and disinfection adopted. 



ECZEMA. 



Cutaneous catarrh. A dermatitis presenting localised eruption of 

 papules, vesicles, or pustules, appearing consecutively or together, 

 with itching, thickening, and discharge, and subsequently scales 

 or scabs. The earlier or acute stages may continue one to three 

 weeks, the later for months. Affects particular regions, chiefly 

 the back, tail, and extremities. Young, old, and delicate subjects 

 most susceptible. A frequent disease of dogs, in which the 

 several varieties usually well marked. It occurs about the heels 

 of horses, causing ulceration and constituting a variety of grease. 

 Friedberger records six varieties : 



(1) Erytkematous. The skin hot, tender, red, and swollen. 



Cleanse skin with soap and water. Apply vaseline or lead subacetate, 



glycerin, and olive oil. 

 Endeavour to prevent rubbing and biting. 

 Laxative salines, cooling diet, correct gastric derangement. 



(2) Papular. Patches of small, soft swellings, varying in size from a 



millet to a pea. 



With treatment as above, moisten with boro-glycerin or borax solution. 



Itching abated by strong solution of pot. bicarbonate, or sod. hypo- 

 sulphite. 



(3) Vesicular. Eczema simplex. Tetter. Patches of minute, crowded 

 vesicles. 



Whether in dogs or horses, trim or shave all hair from irritable spots. 



Wash with soap and water. 



Moisten several times daily with saturated solution pot. bicarbonate. 

 Zinc oleate or ointment soothes and softens. 

 Dry dressings, such as zinc oxide and bismuth nitrate, one part each, 



six or eight parts kaolin or starch, preferable when skin tender or 



puffy. 



(4) Humid. Eczema rubrum. Red mange of dogs. Inflammation ex- 



tended and exudation greater. 

 Remove irritating discharges, and wash skin once with solution of 



creolin. 



Soak limited areas with mercurous oxide wash. 

 Subsequently dress with zinc oleate or sulphur ointment. 

 Paint limited inflammatory spots with 5 per cent, silver nitrate solution. 

 Tannin with ten parts paraffin oil ; dust with boric acid or iodoform. 

 After abating pyrexia, administer mineral acids, bitters, tonics, 



arsenic ; linseed for herbivora. In dogs avoid oatmeal and heating 



animal food, and give cod-liver oil. 

 Mercuric nitrate or oxide ointment in eczema of eyelids. 



(5) Pustulous. Impetiginous. Inflammation more deeply involving the 



skin, with free pus formation, as in grease in horses ; liable to 



assume chronic form. 



Cleanse and soften scabs with soap and warm water. 

 Soak suppurating surfaces with zinc chloride in aqueous solution. 

 Alternate these dressings with mercurous oxide wash, copper sulphate 



ointment, carbolic acid, naphthol. 



Paint inflamed spots with silver nitrate or dilute nitric acid. 

 Attend to state of bowels and kidneys. 

 Digestible nutritive food, tonics, arsenic, mineral acids. 



(6) Squamous. Desquamating. Sometimes termed Pityriasisor Psoriasis. 

 Soak crusts or scabs with oil for some hours and remove them. 



