SCLERODERMA. ' 657 



benign character. It seems to arise from some form of alimentary 

 intoxication. 



Symptoms. At first the dominant symptoms point to disturbance 

 of digestion. The appetite is lost, and the bowels may be confined or 

 there may be diarrhoea. This is sometimes accompanied by vomit- 

 ing, and by fever. 



The symptoms may develoj) fully in from six to twelve hours ; 

 sometimes the skin is covered with slightly prominent reddish 

 patches, varying in size from J of an inch to 1^ inches in 

 diameter. 



The patches may also become confluent and form large, irregular 

 red or violet flattened swellings, sensitive to the touch and spread 

 over the upper and lateral portions of the body. Only in exceptional 

 cases is there any oozing of blood. 



In favourable cases recovery takes place in forty-eight hours, and 

 even in grave cases in from five to six days. 



Diagnosis. It is sometimes very difficult to distinguish this condi- 

 tion from swine erysipelas, particularly in the first few cases, although 

 the congested or haemorrhagic patches occupy different positions. 



The prognosis is usually favourable. 



Treatment. The disease being unquestionably of digestive origin, 

 the animals should be kept without food and receive repeated doses 

 of mild purgatives according to their age and condition, sulphate of 

 soda, 4 to 12 drachms, or calomel, IJ to 8 grains. Recovery is 

 rapid. 



SCLERODERMA. 



This term is applied to a disease characterised by thickening and 

 hardening of the skin. Up to now it has been described only in the 

 pig, and principally in male animals or old animals of either sex. 



The symptoms are difficult to detect, and in many cases are only 

 discovered after slaughter. Without any change in external appear- 

 ance, the skin becomes thick, hard and sclerosed over limited or 

 extensive areas, and is thus transformed into hard, rigid, inextensible 

 and inelastic plates, sometimes as much as 1 to 2 inches in thick- 

 ness. The change usually commences about the dorsal region, and ex- 

 tends irregularly towards the chest and sometimes towards the limbs. 



The patient thus becomes imprisoned in a kind of cuirass, which 

 interferes with its movements and causes unaccountable stiffness. 

 Palpation of the skin gives the impression of a piece of wood, for 

 it is hard and resistant over the affected regions, whilst over the 

 belly, inner surface of the thighs, and region of the elbow, it retains 

 its usual pliability. 



D.c. u u 



