38 CAUSES, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OF 



offensive odour, apply a poultice, with some carbolic acid. Use acetate of 

 lead as a lotion, or chloride of zinc, two scruples to a pint of water. 

 There are other ointments as well as this ; they are more for lubricating 

 the parts. 



After-treatment — Use applications of tow or cotton to the parts. 

 Judicious pressure may arrest or even prevent granulations. You may 

 use charcoal or yeast to allay the offensive odour of the discharge You 

 must give good constitutional treatment with the local, and you may 

 have to act upon the bowels, although the animal is considerably reduced, 

 but not so severely as in a sthemic animal. Use Fowler's solution of 

 arsenic as a tonic. After the irritation is allayed, if the swelling still 

 remains, you will find benefit from turning the animal upon pasture. 

 Judicious bandaging, if not too tight, for the leg might swell during the 

 night, and so do more harm than good. If you have the grapy stage you 

 may have to use the knife, or even a hot iron, or caustics, as a nitrate of 

 silver, sulphate of copper, etc. In some cases you may apply a high- 

 heeled shoe to raise the heel, but it is generally best to remove the shoes. 

 Keep the parts clean, but do not wash too much. Sulphur is recom- 

 mended by Professor Williams : sulphur one ounce, carbonate of soda 

 four ounces, carbolic acid two drachms, with olive oil and lard, of each 

 sixteen ounces. 



Simple Eczema. — Is often mistaken for mange, but it is not due to a 

 parasite, and is not contagious. It is an eruption of the minute vesicles, 

 and is more common in hot weather. 



Pathology — It is due to some change in the blood, causing little 

 eruptions on the skin. Little vesicles appear on the skin, which contain 

 fluid, and give rise to an irritation It is more likely to attack those 

 animals tbat are highly fed, especially upon Indian corn. Barley and 

 wheat are likely to produce it. You will notice it in horses at pasture, 

 not very frequently in the spring, when the pasture is pure, but in the 

 months of July and August, when the pasture is poor. 



Symptoms. — Slight dryness about the head, ears, tail, etc., then these 

 little vesicles can be seen, which may burst and discharge, or the contents 

 may be absorbed. The animal rubs himself against the stall, manger, 

 etc., until the parts are very sore, or if at work, after taking him from the 

 harness and putting him into the stable, he will rub himself violently. 

 The parts most affected are the head, neck, tail, back, etc. The shoulder 

 may become irritated from the collar ; the skin dry and dusty. It is 

 necessary to examine very dosely with the naked eye, or under the micro- 

 scope, and if parasites are found, it is mange, and not simple eczema. 



Treatment. — ECzema is difficult to treat. You can allay the irritation, 

 but it is difficult to effect an entire cure, and the animal is more liable to 

 another attack each successive summer First allay the local irritation 

 as quickly as possible, which can be done both by internal and local 

 remedies. Corrosive sublimate two drachms, spirits of wine four drachms, 

 water one pint ; rub well into the parts, and as well as doing this it is ad- 

 visable to give internal remedies. Give iodide of potassium or nitrate of 

 potash ; or give hyposulphite of soda one half ounce, once or twice a day 

 until two or three doses have been taken ; and use, locally, carbolic acid 

 one part to sixteen of water, and if these do not do, try aconite one to 

 four drachms, prussic or hydrocyanic acid one part to twelve or fifteen 

 parts of water, applied locally. Another is turpentine ; it acts upon the 

 skin homeopathically. Use turpentine and sulphur ; they will increase the 

 irritation where applied, but will soon produce a beneficial result. Clipping 

 the hair nicely will do good. Finley Dun gives, as his favorite treatment, 

 a compound tincture of iodine, made by shaking together two parts iodine 



