478 Veterinary Medicbie. 



occur a gradual shedding of the long hairs, so that an increasing 

 thinness of the mane and tail (rat tail) becomes apparent. The 

 skin covering the affected parts is thickened, inflamed and thrown 

 into ridges and folds, one rubbing against another. The surface 

 feels moist or is covered by crusts formed by the condensation of 

 the moist exudate, and embracing the hairs and drawing them 

 out of their follicles. Beneath the concretions the skin is soaked 

 in the tenacious foetid liquid discharge. The hair follicles become 

 atrophied in connection with the evulsion of the hairs, or under 

 congestion the hairs stand rigidly erect, and bri.stly or curly. As 

 the freer secretion abates, the exudate become more purely 

 scally or encrusted, but the skin remains thickened and thrown 

 into folds. Under the inveterate rubbing or gnawing the skin is 

 often extensively abraded and large open sores are formed which 

 are indolent and slow to heal. That matting together of the hairs 

 which has been known as/>//ra Polonica is often the result of the 

 disease of the hair follicles and the accumulation of scabs which 

 'takes place in tliis disease, rather than to a special infection like 

 gregarina (coccidiosis). 



Treatment. The first consideration must be to remove all 

 general and local causes of eczema, insure perfect cleanliness and 

 good grooming in any case in which the.se may been lacking, 

 purify the air of the stable if that has been foul, procure a cool 

 environment when that has been too hot, clip the patient if habit- 

 ually soaked with perspiration by reason of a heavy coat, su.sj^end 

 or moderate the work if that has been too exacting, withhold a 

 heating grain ration (corn, buckwheat, barley, wheat, peas, 

 beans), and furnish cooling, laxative, easily digested food. In 

 the cases before us the acute, irritable stage has usually passed,, 

 so that the more stimulating applications may be safely used, 

 yet in many old standing cases a fresh eruption may have taken 

 place, which would demand for a time the most .soothing applica- 

 tions onl}'. Apart from such cases the more stimulating dress- 

 ings are applied at once. 



The affected surface is exposed by clipping or shaving off the 

 long hairs, thus at once removing a .source of heat and irritation 

 and allowing of the direct and thorough application of the dress- 

 ing. Among the astringent and stimulant applications oxide of 

 zinc ointment and benzoated oxide of zinc are among the sim- 



