292 SCARLATINA. 



plilycteenoid or vesicular, we have a number of minute vesicles 

 charged with serous fluid, which ultimately desiccate and are 

 rubbed or fall of 



Whatever is the particular character of the eruption, it is to 

 be remarked that it rarely attacks the whole body, or all those 

 parts of the body where it is ultimately found, at one and the 

 same time. The face and head are often first invaded, followed 

 by the limbs, and latterly it may occupy the abdomen and 

 the chest. 



Although not so distinctly characterized by appearing in 

 successive crops, each separated from the one preceding it by a 

 few days, as is the case in the human subject, this is yet often 

 enough the manner in which the eruption shows itself to 

 attract our attention. It is also to be observed that, unlike 

 many other of the eruptive fevers, the elevation of temperature 

 incident to the pyrexial symptoms does not suffer much decline 

 on the appearance of the eruption ; while we also find that 

 even after the desquamation of the desiccated exudate, persis- 

 tent anasarca of the limbs, and more rarely of other parts of 

 the body, remains. Although in several of its general features 

 resembling purpura hfemorrhagica, a careful examination of 

 its symptoms, modes of development, and termination would 

 appear to warrant a separation being made between these 

 affections. 



By writers on human medicine, many varieties of scarlatina 

 have been spoken of; in the horse there seems little difficulty 

 in recognising at least two. Essentially similar in their cha- 

 racter and nature, these only differ in the manifestation of the 

 severity of their symptoms — scarlatina smi^jlex being the 

 mildest manifestation of the fever; scarlatina anginosa 

 merely a more severe attack, and where the force of the 

 disease seems expended on the throat and upper air-passages. 



h. Causation. — Unlike scarlatina of man, we cannot say of 

 this disease in the horse that to its existence in others and to 

 that alone we must look for the source of the disease ; for, as 

 already stated, it does not in our patient appear to be pro- 

 duced by contagion in any instance. Rather, in searching for 

 the causes of this scarlatina of the horse, must we take fully 

 and carefully into consideration, first, the condition of the 

 patient ; and secondly, the nature of the surroundings. 



