DISEASKS OF THE SKIN. 719 



kennel contained about l.alf a dozen dogs. whicH were ofteu 

 changed ; and cases of the disease broke out in this place, one 

 after another, for months. 



" The duration of the disease is very long. I bare seen ot 

 case of two years' standing ; but I do not think tbia len^^b of 

 time could be niucb exceeded, as tbe ]?itiable coudition of the 

 animal indicated a fatal termination, unless treatment baa bean 

 adopted. I am inclined to think that tbe development of tbe 

 disease, or I might say its period of incubation, is very slow. 

 At any rate, a healthy dog remains a long time in contact vdih. 

 diseased ones before be shows symptoms of it. 



" TreatnuTxi. — Ify first two or three cases were aU unsuc- 

 cessful, and it was not until I compared notes with ^Ir, Duguid, 

 the veteiinary surgeon to tbe Brown InKtitution, that I found 

 this was tbe experience of every one else. AVe then worked 

 together, and tried preparations of mercury, sulphur, iodine ' 

 carbolic acid, and other parasiticides, but still ^itb no eflfeot. 

 These substances were applied either in watery solutions, or in 

 oil, or as ointmeuta, and were used of various strengtbs, so as 

 in some cases to affect tbe system, or to produce a caustic action 

 on tbe skin. It then occurred to Mr. Duguid. that as the 

 parasites were situated deeply in the skin, any application to 

 reach them must firet soften and break up tbe cuticular coverin<». 

 A mixture of creosote and oil, to whicb was added a strong 

 solution of caustic potass, was tried, and its action was soon 

 most marked To facilitate matters, we alao adopted the plan 

 of washing the dog with warm Avater and soft soap, previous to 

 applying the dressing. This is most useful in all parasitic skin 

 diseases, but in none so conspicuously as this ; as it softens tbe 

 cuticle, and removes all scabs, Sco., allowing tbe drug every 

 chance of reaching the parasites. 



" Carbolic acid, used with oil and caustic potass, la not eff*ective, 

 not is any drug without tbe alkali. Creosote ointment was 

 tiied without effect by "Weiss. Caustic solutions failed in 

 Haubner's bands, but the two combined are, .as our experience 

 shown, perfectly reliable. The foUowi-ig is the formula : — 

 R Creosote, . . 5^^* 

 Olive oil, . . |viL 

 Sol. potassjis. • ^i 



I 



