THE SKIN 391 



668. Grease is inflammation of the true skin, of an eczematous 

 character, affecting the oil glands, and, strange to say, in this part of 

 the country nearly all cases of sudden lameness and swollen legs are 

 designated as ' shots of grease,' whereas in reality no such thing 

 exists. Cart-horses of the round, gummy-legged class are more 

 subject to it than those of the light-legged class, while the hind-legs 

 are more often attacked than the fore. The causes are various. 

 Some horses have a natural predisposition to it, and then anything 

 that irritates the lower part of the limb will induce the disease. 

 Sudden chills after the animal has been heated ; washing and not 

 drying the legs ; want of exercise, with too stimulating food ; feeding 

 on new hay or oats ; standing in filthy boxes, etc., all have a tendency 

 to produce this complaint. Symptoms. — The first symptoms usually 

 noticed are swelling of the legs and stiffness on moving, but there is 

 not that acute pain present which is characteristic of ' weed,' often 

 misnamed ' grease ' (par. 451). In a short time the hair stands on 

 end, and a thin, yellow, oily discharge is seen oozing through the 

 skin. This runs down the limb, and irritates the parts with which 

 it comes in contact. The leg is very painful to the touch, and in the 

 hollow of the heel and back of the fetlock cracks are seen in the 

 skin. Treatment. — The alkaline laxative ball, mentioned under 

 mallenders, should be given, followed up with saline and iron tonics. 

 The leg should be washed with Little's phenyle (1 part to 80 parts 

 cold water), then a hay bandage rolled round the limb, and the 

 phenyle wash poured down it five or six times a day. This can 

 be continued for thirty-six or forty hours. The after-treatment 

 entirely depends on the progress of the case. 



669. Grapes. — Grease often ends in the formation of trouble- 

 some, filthy-looking outgrowths round the pastern joint, resembling a 

 bunch of red grapes, from which there is a nasty foetid discharge. In 

 such cases the phenyle wash should be made stronger (say 1 in 40), 

 and when the parts are dry they should be dressed with powdered 

 alum or blue vitriol. Burning off the warty excrescences with a hot 

 iron is sometimes necessary. 



670. Mud Fever — a form of erythema, or superficial, patchy, 



