112 DISEASES 



"Diagnosis. — In white clogs the color of the skin may cause the disease 

 to be mistaken for 'Red Mange' or 'Eczema.' The circumscribed spots in 

 the first stages may be confounded with some forms of Tinea, and the loss 

 of hair and the presence of scabs seen in the fully developed disease may 

 easily be mistaken for ordinary scabies. The pustules, the heat of the skin, 

 and the comparatively slight itchiness shown, are, however, nearly diagnos- 

 tic. Positive diagnosis can only be made by the aid of the microscope and 

 the detection of the parasite. If we puncture one of the pustules, and mix 

 its contents on a slide with a little water, the acari are easily discovered. 

 I have found as many as thirty to one pustule. Sometimes we may detect 

 them on the root of a hair removed from an affected spot. With a low 

 power, the parasites somewhat resemble sprats or minnows, but a higher 

 power shows them to consist of a head and body, which latter terminates 

 in a long and obtusely pointed tail. They are furnished with six or eight 

 legs situated on the anterior part of the body, three or four on each side. 

 The head consists of two antennse and a median proboscis, all of which 

 are capable of being moved forward or backward. The legs consist of 

 three segments. The movements of the creatures are not often seen, and 

 are very slow. The parasite measures about one-hundredth of an inch in 

 length by one five-hundredth in breadth." 



"In regard to treatment, Fleming, in Veterinary Sanitary Science, says 

 "The situation of the Demodex renders it almost inaccessible to parasi- 

 tical remedies; the disease it engenders is therefore looked upon as ex- 

 tremely troublesome, and, in the majority of cases, almost beyond a cure. 

 Often, when it is believed to be extinguished, it reappears in all its viru- 

 lence in one or two months. Nevertheless, Zurn asserts that he has fre- 

 quently succeeded with an ointment composed of 1 part of benzine to 4 

 parts of lard. Zundel states that the balsam of Peru has often yielded 

 good results when the malady has not been of too long duration; he has 

 employed it dissolved in alcohol (1 to 30)." 



Symptoms of Scaroptic Mange. — In pronounced cases this disease is 

 easily recognizable, but in the initial stages, when the hair is not much 

 lost or broken, if complicated with eczema — which is not uncommon — 

 diagnosis is more difficult. 



The first symptom is that of great irritation of the affected parts, 

 especially on the application of heat. 



The symptoms first appear in the form of small red spots, which may 

 be seen on the head, close to the muzzle, the outside of the roots of the 

 ears, round the eyes and neck, the bottom part of the chest, the elbows, 

 the soft skin of the stomach, behind the thighs and the feet. 



As a matter of fact, it may appear on any part of the body. The 

 small red spots resemble flea bites on the human skin. These red spots 

 are more noticeable when situated on the stomach or inside the thighs. 



Little blisters appear in place of the red spots, and if they are in 

 large numbers and burst open sores appear. 



Injury will result from an inoculation of the skin with the contents 

 of the blisters, which often occurs as a result of scratching or rubbing. 



Doss of hair will follow this, and is caused partly by the scratching 

 and partly by the scaling of the crusts of the skin caused by the small 

 blisters and pimples. 



