1008 DISEASES AND THEIK TEBATMENT. 



Symptoms. — The hair falls off on various parts of the body, 

 especially about the face, eyelids, cheeks, neck, and thighs, leav- 

 ing small and apparently ulcerated patches," which appear white 

 and scaly, and have a peculiar tendency to spread; the animal 

 loses flesh, and his coat becomes dry and dirty looking. 



Treatment. — Ring- worm, if attended to in the early stage, is^ 

 easily cured. The affected parts should be well cleansed, and 

 touched with a mild caustic, and dressed daily with the following 

 ointment : — 



1 di-achm. iodine, 

 1 ounce lard. 



Or, in place of the ointment, a liniment composed of — 



1 ounce sulphur, 

 6 drachms iodide of potassium, 

 3 drachms iodine, 

 10 ounces oil of tar ; 

 May be used daily. 



Scratches, Mud Fever, and Cracked Heels 



Are very common occurrences among horses, especially in the 

 spring and autumn months, and the hind legs are oftener affected 

 than the fore ones. 



Causes. — They are very often the result of keeping horses 

 standing in damp or filthy stables. Clipping the hair from off 

 the legs is regarded as a very serious cause of scratches, as it 

 leaves the skin so ])are that it cannot as readily resist the efiects 

 of irritants of any kind as when protected by its natural covering; 

 but the most common cause is the habit of washing the legs with 

 cold water, and not drying them thoroughly afterwards. The 

 sebaceovis glands in the hollow of the pasterns become inflamed, 

 their secretion is increased, the skin cracks and discharges an 

 ichorous matter. 



Symptoms. — They usually cause lameness, more or less severe, 

 according to the severity of the attack, always mos.t painful for 

 the first few steps. The hollow of the pasterns are swollen, red, 

 hot, and tender, with ti-ansverse cracks which open at every step, 

 and often l)leed, especially in cold weather. (A good illustration 

 of this is shown by Figs. 868 and 869. 



Treatment must be regulated according to the extent and 



