2. GENITAL HORSE POX. COITAL EXANTHEM 

 Eruptive Venereal Disease of the Horse. 



Genital Horse Po.x is a highly contagious disease, which, 

 under ordinary conditions, is transmitted by coition only and 

 consists of a local infection of the genital organs. It is far more 

 readily transmitted than Dourine and has a shorter period of 

 inculcation. 



Symptoms After a period of two to five days sulxsequent 

 to exposure, there appears in the mare an inflammation of the 

 mucous membrane of the vulva and vagina, in which tliere ari.se 

 small reddish papules, which .soon become vesicular or pustular 

 and rupture, leaving small ero.sions on the mucosa. From the 

 vulva, there occurs a more or le.ss copious, muco-purulent dis- 

 charge, which .soils the tail and neighboring parts. Urination is 

 somewhat frequent and the contact of the urine with the denuded 

 muco.sa irritates that membrane and causes straining. 



At the same time, similar eruptions, appear upon the externa 

 surface of the vulva, anus, perineum and surrounding parts. 

 They behave somewhat similarly to tlie eruptions within the 

 vulva and vagina. At first, a small papule arises in the skin, 

 which .soon becomes vesicular and this, in turn, pustular and 

 a.ssumes a yellowish- white color ; the.se mature quickh' and soon 

 rupture, to be followed by tough, yellow scabs, ^/i to ^4 inch in 

 diameter. After a few days, the crusts drop off and leave be- 

 hind white scars very slightly depressed. The.se depigmented 

 spots are circular in form and, in very .severe ca.ses, may coalesce 

 somewhat. They tend, however, to remain distinct circular 

 spots. The pigment returns after two or three weeks and no 

 visible .scar remains. The vesicles appear in continuous crops 

 over a period of one to three weeks, so that, at a given examina- 

 tion, there may be eruptions in every stage. 



Accompanying the.se eruptions, there is swelling of the vulva, 

 with .some tenderness of the parts. Some writers have described 

 also a prurigo or intense itching of the parts, causing the animal 

 to violently rub the tail and vulva. Although we have personally 

 observed a number of outbreaks, we have not seen this symp- 

 tom in any case. Neither have we been able to find in the 

 literature upon the subject any case where such a symptom has 

 been recorded as a personal observation. 

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