Erysipelatous Inllainiuatioii of the Skin. Etiology. S77 



In horses the disease oeciirs either at the same time on the skin or 

 mucous membrane of the mouth, or only the skin of the limbs covered 

 Avith white hair is attacked, leading to edematous swelling, the secretion 

 ot sticky fluid on the surface of the skin, and scab formation. 



Besides stopping or reducing of lucerne feeding, the treatment is 

 the same as that in malt or moist eczema (see pages 863 and 871). 



Literature. Bigoteau, Bull., 1894, 456.— Burmeister, Mag., 1844 112 — 

 Kovanyi, A. L., 1907, 471.— Kiilin, B. t. W., 1894, 521. ' ^ ' 



9. Erysipelatous Inflammation of the Skin. Dermatitis 

 Erysipelatosa. 



{Rotlaiif, Rose; Erysipelas.) 



By erysipelatous dermatitis is understood a diffuse, sero- 

 cellular infiltration of all the layers of the skin, which is mani- 

 fested by an intense red color, pain and swelling, and which 

 after an acute course passes on to healing with desquamation 

 of the skin. 



In the strict sense the name applies only to diseases caused by 

 Fehleisen 's streptococcus erysipelatis. It is, however, unknown whether 

 this etiologically uniform type of disease — idiopathic and Avound ery- 

 sipelas—also occurs in animals, but cases which have been met with 

 actually correspond wdth this disease very much clinically, and in con- 

 sequence some authors (Roll, Malzew, Semmer, Lucet) have considered 

 them to be identical ^\\\\\ true erysipelas. 



_ From the definition given it is clear that the red spots developing in swine 

 erysipelas do not correspond to the meaning of the pathological term of erysipelas, 

 but have merely the significance of redness of the skin. 



Etiology. The external influences mentioned in the etiology 

 of erythema (see page 839), especially the effect of too great 

 warmth, sun rays as well as chemical substances, produce on 

 intense exposure an infiltration of the skin with sero-cellular 

 exudate extending into the subcutaneous connective tissue. 

 Brandes also proved experimentally that kainit mixed with the 

 litter or strewn in the manure pile produced violent inflamma- 

 tion of the skin and even necrosis of the extremities and udder, 

 and if taken into the stomach may cause a fatal internal disease, 

 especially in hens. Traumatic effects especially play a part as 

 means of infection. From such causes the disease develops on 

 the head and limbs and seldom on other parts of the body, es- 

 pecially in horses. The same origin is probably to be attrib- 

 uted to the quite common erysipelatous dermatitis on the head 

 and neck in swine (Schindelka), as well as to the inflammation 

 which now and then occurs in dogs (Frohner, Miiller). 



Lucet isolated a streptococcus quite similar to the streptococcus erysipelatis from 

 the affected skin of a horse that had died with symptoms of erysipelas of the head. 

 This streptococcus was demonstrated on microscopic sections in the distended lymph 

 spaces which were filled with exudate. 



