100 THE ARMY HORSE IN ACCIDENT AND DISEASE. 



known cause, a temperature of 102° F. should be isolated, and there- 

 after blood examinations should be made and temperatures taken 

 daily. As flies are known to be carriers of the surra parasite, great 

 care should be exercised to remove and avoid any breeding places 

 for these pests. If stables could be screened in would be a great 

 advantage in surra outbreaks. 



EPIZOOTIC OR ULCERATIVE LYMPHANGITIS. 



This peculiar tropical disease closely resembles glanders of the 

 farcv form, so much so that the two might be easily confused by a 

 person uninformed on tropical diseases. In observing epizootic lym- 

 phangitis the high fever and sudden loss of flesh and vigor are not 

 seen as in tropical glanders. 



The disease in the early stage responds to treatment, but often 

 requires months to effect a cure. It is caused by a fungus, called 

 cryptoeoceus, and is contagious. 



Symptoms. — Small bunches or nodules, the size of a half dollar, 

 may appear upon the skin of any part of the body: there may be 

 one or many. They often appear in chains along the course of the 

 lymphatics (1, Plate XXI); they may spread around an infected 

 area into an irregular patch (2, Plate XXI), apparently not following 

 the lymphatics; again, the disease may start with a hard, painful 

 swelling in the region of the chest or shoulder, or between the fore- 

 legs, the swelling later softening in spots and forming the small 

 abscesses. 



Ordinarily, the nodules soon soften and break upon the surface: 

 if not, they should be opened; in either case they end in the typical 

 ulcers of the disease. The small bunches or abscesses, when opened, 

 contain a white, creamy pus; they do not respond readily to ordinary 

 healing methods and persist after the most heroic measures have 

 been adopted. In cases of long standing the ulcerations may extend 

 over the greater part of the body, the limbs especially being covered 

 with sores; there is usually great enlargement and thickening of the 

 legs and the patient becomes badly emaciated (poor in flesh). In 

 the ordinary case, however, the animal does not lose flesh and 

 does not carry any marked fever. 



Treatment. — The treatment consists in opening the ulcers freely 

 with a knife or cautery point heated to white heat, or, better still, 

 if they are not too numerous, in dissecting them out entirely with- 

 out opening the abscess wall. 



The dressings must be of a caustic nature, so as to destroy the 

 cause of the disease; for instance, alcohol 4 ounces, salicylic acid 

 1 ounce, bichloride of mercury 2 drams; alternate this with a dress- 

 ing made of equal parts of olive oil and creolin, or one made of 

 tincture of iodine 2 ounces and tincture of iron 2 ounces. Apply 



