SOME SKIN AFFECTIONS 207 



is one of those skin diseases which have a tendency to 

 spread over the body until a particular stage is reached, 

 when it begins to decline. At the commencement of the 

 Great War, ringworm was very prevalent amongst the 

 horses in the British Army, and the severity of the disease 

 in many cases led to almost complete loss of hair over 

 the body, often extending to the limbs. Although ring- 

 worm first of all makes its appearance in patches, usually 

 of a circular character, it very soon assumes a confluent 

 form, owing to the patches fusing with one another. 

 Ringworm may commence at any portion of the body, 

 and in its early stages it is denoted by slight elevation 

 of the hair, accompanied by one or more red points on the 

 skin, with a slight degree of moisture at the part attacked. 

 It seems to make its appearance quite suddenly and spreads 

 from the centre to the circumference, consequently 

 whilst one part of the patch is alive the other part is more 

 or less dead ; hence the necessity for dressing the margin 

 of the ringworm freely with the application employed. 

 If a ringworm patch is examined it will be found that the 

 surface is covered with greyish scales, underneath which 

 the skin is red, proving that the disease is still active. 

 When the surface of the sore is free from scales, perfectly 

 dry and shows no redness when scratched with the 

 finger nail, especially around the margin of the patch, one 

 may accept this as evidence that the patch is no longer 

 active. Although ringworm attacks all classes of horses, 

 both when they are clean and when they are dirty, it is 

 one of those troubles which are favoured by a dirty 

 condition of the skin and by general insanitary environ- 

 ment. It is, however, an affection communicable from 

 horse to horse, mule to mule, and from these animals to 

 man. Further, ringworm is very common amongst calves, 

 and has a predilection in these animals for attacking 

 the face, especially around the eyes and muzzle. It may 

 spread from these animals directly to the horse or 

 indirectly through the medium of feeding-troughs. 



