Diseases Affecting the Skin and Ears 227 



moist, the affection then being spoken of as " moist 

 eczema." The animal aggravates the trouble by 

 scratching and Hcking the part, which is often of a 

 very angry-looking nature. If there are several 

 patches the disease will be observed in its various 

 stages — progressive and retrogressive. When the 

 patches are in the latter stage they become dry and 

 scurfy, and the same affection may subsequently 

 become the seat of a secondary attack. Chronic 

 eczema is usually denoted by a dry and scurfy con- 

 dition of the skin, more especially around the margins 

 of the ears, the points of the elbows, the points 

 of the hocks, buttocks, etc. The skin becomes 

 thickened, the hair shed or broken across, and the 

 part irritable. Although eczema is capable of 

 arising through a variety of causes, either chemical, 

 mechanical, parasitical or constitutional, there is 

 no doubt that hereditary predisposition is favour- 

 able to its production. Disorders of the digestive 

 apparatus, such as the irritation induced by worms 

 or unsuitable food, congestion of the Hver or kidneys, 

 are answerable for some cases of eczema. The causes 

 are usually of an obscure nature, and treatment has 

 to be directed towards the removal of the local signs. 

 Treatment and Management. — An endeavour must 

 be made to try and find out the cause, and as a rule 

 it is a fairly good practice to begin with a dose of 

 worm medicine, as so many hounds are infested 



