Chronic Eczema in the Dog. 497 



scratching. Hypertrophy of the papillary layer is not uncom- 

 mon giving a rongh uneven aspect and feeling to the skin. A 

 common feature is an offensive odor from the affected skin, and 

 vi'hich may btrtray the persistence of the disease vv'hen it has been 

 supposed that all eruption has been oyercome. While not pre- 

 pared to follow Cadeac in making this a diagnostic symptom 

 from other skin diseases, yet as an evidence that an eczema is 

 not yet entirely healed it serves a very useful purpose. In old- 

 standing cases the continued irritation, tlie iniintermitting itching, 

 the absorption or circnlation of morbid products, and the con- 

 stant nervous e.Kcitenient may lead to emaciation, exhaustion and 

 death. 



Chronic Eczema of the Back in Dogs. Rodent Eczema 

 is a di.sease of fat, old, voracious dogs. It appears in circum- 

 scribed spots and patches on the back, loins, croup or tail and is 

 marked by inveterate itching, congestion and thickening of the 

 skin, cracking of its surface, bristling, breaking and shedding of 

 the hair, exudation from the surface and its dessication in the 

 form of crusts. These crusts ma}' be black from contamination 

 with dust or blood, and the affected surface is more or less foetid. 

 The skin may be puckered into irregular folds, thick and inelastic. 

 Not infrequently the malady may remain dormant for .some time, 

 only to break out again and again with renewed energy. It is 

 ver}' obstinate and intractable. 



Chronic Eczema of the Elbow and Hock in Dogs. This 

 attacks the sunnnit of the olecranon or calcis and is manifestly 

 coiniected with compression and friction on these parts when 

 lying down, and perhaps with foul and irritating matters on the 

 ground. This need not l)e looked on as the sole cause but only 

 as the occasion for the localization of a predisposition which was 

 already present in the general system. The skin becomes red, 

 thickened and indurated, the epidermis undergoing hypertrophy 

 to form a callus, in which a few cracks and sores may form, 

 giving rise to a discharge which encrusts the surface and adds to 

 the thickness and induration. The affection is very inveterate. 



Chronic Dry Eczema of Head, Ears, Neck and Limbs 



in Dogs. The dry eczema of the head, neck and limbs is 



characterized by its slow progress and its restriction in the 



majority of cases to one or more of these parts. The small 



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