CUTANEOUS AFFECTIONS OF PARASITIC ORIGIN 463 



paper with its contents must be burned. Another method is to take the 

 dog out in a fiekl away from the kennel and rub him thoroughly with 

 spirits of camphor, and the fleas fall on the ground and soon die. The 

 placing of cedar shavings, walnut leaves or pine shavings, in dogs' ken- 

 nels tends to keep away the parasites. Parsely seed and absinthe powder 

 are also useful. In fine pet animals the daily rubbing into the skin of 

 spirits of camphor drives away the fleas and the camphor left on the skin 

 after the alcohol evaporates has a tendency to keep the fleas away. 

 Rubbing with laurel oil, or a mild solution of creolin (2 per cent.) may 

 be tried, the latter, how^ever, being apt to roughen the hair in soft-haired 

 dogs. The blankets or cushions where the dog sleeps should occasion- 

 ally be subjected to heat. The best plan is to put the blankets or 

 cushions in an oven that is moderately warm, and leave them there for 

 ten or fifteen minutes. This destroys the parasites and kills the germ 

 in the eggs. In a kennel the washing of the floor wdth corrosive sublimate 

 solution 1 to 300, or creolin 1 to 100, and allowing the solution to go 

 down between the cracks where the eggs lie is particularly useful. 



Pulex Penetrans, Sarcopsylla Penetrans (Sand Flea). — This is some- 

 what smaller than the dog flea and is found in America and since 1872 

 in certain parts of Africa. It lives in sand and on weeds. It lives on 

 man as well as the dog, and while the mature male and virgin female 

 cause little or no inconvenience, the pregnant female burrows into the 

 skin, burrowing until the head is in the skin, leaving the body protruding. 

 In a few days the body, in consequence of the development of numerous 

 eggs, grows to an enormous size in propor- 

 tion to its normal size, sometimes getting as 

 large as a pea (Fig. 163). It causes more or 

 less itching while it is in the skin, and if the 

 dog should gnaw and kill the insect, it is apt 

 to act as an irritant, causing suppuration and 

 in some cases necrosis of the skin. Great care 

 must l)e used in removing these ticks, as care- 

 less removal, as has iust been said, causes Fig. les.— Female puiex pene- 

 trans greatly enlarged, 

 irritation and abscess. Saturate a pad of 



cotton with chloroform or ether and lay it over the parasite which im- 

 mediately liberates its holding hooks in the skin and falls off. 



Haematopinus Piliferus (Dog Louse) and Trichodectes Latus. 



{Dog Parasites.) 



Description of Haematopinus Piliferus. — This parasite is distinguished 

 by an egg-shaped head fitted with fine, short hairs and fleshy sheath-trunk 

 with hooks at the edge. This when lifted shows a sucking tube and two 



