o78 CHAPTRIi 52. 



CHAPTER 52. 



RINGWORM. 



775. Nature of Ring worm. 776. Causes. 777. Treatment. 



775. Nature of Ringivorm. 



RINGWORM is not connected, as the name might lead us to suppose, 

 with the presence of an insect. It is due to a parasitic growth of fungus 

 made up of organic cells, which affects more especially the hair follicles 

 on the surface of the skin. The disease may commence in any part. 

 The premonitory symptom is usually an unthrifty look about the coat. 

 A white scaly scurf accompanied with staring of the hairs in the parts 

 affected is the first positive indication, followed by a thickened scurf with 

 raised eminences. This spreads rapidly in blotches over the neighbour- 

 ing parts, generally assuming the form of rings, and the hair falls off. 

 The appearance is so peculiar, that the disease cannot be mistaken by any 

 one who has ever seen a case. 



776. Causes. 



Ringworm usually results from an unhealthy condition of the skin, 

 in most cases produced by neglect of grooming, or by bad food, or by any 

 sudden change of diet, even from bad to good. Occasionally, however, 

 it appears in stables, where both the grooming and the food are unques- 

 tionably good. 



Damaged oats or hay are very ready causes of this disease. In every 

 case, therefore, the food should be very carefully examined. The oats, in 

 addition to being inspected externally, should be stripped of their husks 

 with the view of ascertaining, whether they have become mildewed under 

 the surface; and their state should be further tested by smelling and 

 chewing the grains. The hay should also be looked to, especially with 

 the view of ascertaining whether it is mildewed. 



Young horses on first coming into stables are sometimes affected, pro- 

 bably from change of diet. Horses recovering from fever occasionally 

 suffer from this disease. In this latter case, it seems to arise from an im- 

 poverished state of the blood. 



Ringworm, it is said, can be produced in healthy horses by inserting 

 under the skin a scale of the cuticle from one of the blotches of a diseased 

 horse. In ordinary cases the disease is not very contagious, though gene- 

 rally supposed to be so. It frequently, however, runs through stables, 

 much in the same way as influenza and other diseases, because similar 

 causes produce similar effects. 



