470 Veterinary Medicine. 



be drained by punctures followed by antiseptic dressings, and 

 abscesses may be opened and evacuated. 



During the treatment the patient should be tied short to two 

 sides of the stall, and other measures taken to prevent him 

 from rubbing or otherwise injuring the affected parts. 



BUCKWHEAT ERYTHEMA : FAGOPYRISM. WHITE 

 SKIN DISEASE. 



Form of white face disease, with irritating ingesta, buckwheat, etc., 

 occurs from dried products, no insects ; growing potatoes ; sunshine ; idi- 

 osyncrasy. Symptoms : as in white face disease : in winter itching and 

 rubbing : in summer may go on to nervous symptoms. Treatment : stop 

 feeding buckwheat. Give laxative and diuretics. Local treatment as in 

 white face disease. 



This may be held to be but a form of the last named affection, 

 in which, however, certain irritating ingesta (buckwheat, maize, 

 wheat), are essential factors in addition to the white skin and 

 strong sun.shine. It is seen only on white skins or the white 

 portions of parti-colored skins, while the blacks, browns and 

 other colors usually escape. Black breeds of hogs (Essex) escape 

 under the same feeding and exposure, as do solid colored horses 

 of the darker shades. Of the different food factors, buckwheat 

 (Polygonum fagopyrum, persicare, etc.), is the mo,st to be 

 feared, and the poison seems to be inherent in all the products 

 (green vegetable, dry seeds, bran and straw) and is not destroyed 

 by cooking. Buckwheat cakes .sometime produce erythema in 

 man. This excludes the idea of the transfer of a living crypto- 

 gam to the skin, though not the theory of pathogenic products of 

 the fungi. The invoking of bee stings and the bites of insects, 

 which are strongly attracted to the buckwheat, is untenable 

 because the affection occurs from the dried seeds, bran and straw, 

 and has been known to break out weeks after the buckwheat was 

 withdraw from the ration. 



In addition to buckwheat, maize and even wheat when liberally 

 fed have been known to cause erythema. Hemminger records a 

 similar outbreak in horses working among growing potatoes. 



