DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 97 



■with possessing well-marked constricted necks. Sometimes 

 the greater part of the skin may be covered with warts. 



Causes. — It is not always an easy matter to account for the 

 presence of a wart ; however, a very trivial irritation, as a 

 chafe from the harness, etc., may stimulate the skin to such an 

 extent as to cause it to take on this hypertrophied condition. 

 Highly stimulating diet may also cause warts after producing 

 a disordered state of the skin, and there are probably some 

 other causes with which we are not fully acquainted. 



Treatment. — In cases where the presence of warts is dne 

 to the animal having been fed on a highly stimulating diet, 

 a run at pasture may be highly beneficial, often causing 

 them to disappear within a short time. In case the above 

 measure fails, other methods must be tried. If the wart 

 has a constricted neck, it is best removed by the knife or 

 the ecraseur, the latter instrument being the best, as some 

 of the warts are very vascular. In cases where a wart has 

 a broad base, excision may be effected ; but such warts 

 have a tendency to grow again, hence it is a good plan to 

 use a caustic, as * unguentum arsenicalis,' as follows : acid 

 arsen. 5i., adeps 5vi. — 5!. j to be used very carefull3\ It 

 is a very common cancer ointment. Caustics are to be 

 applied a day or two after excision, not before. Poultices 

 and astringents are often useful ; and give a run at grass, 

 which will often effect a cure when everything else fails. 



MANGE. 



Definition. — Mange is an eruptive disease of the skin, char- 

 acterized by more or less irritation, causing the subject to 

 scratch. It is due to the presence of a parasite belonging 

 to the family Sarcoptes, from two Greek words signifying 

 'flesh,' and 'to conceal.' It is also called scab, or scabies, 

 itch, etc. It is transmissible from animal to animal, and 

 from one species to another. It has affected man, and to 



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