322 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



charge being' urine, it causes an irritation of the surrounding skin. 

 Chafing, which is another form of erythema, is occasionally seen 

 on the udder of cows from rubbing by the legs; chafing between 

 the legs is not uncommon among fat steers. Chronic erythema is 

 found in the form of chapped teats of cows and chapped lips in 

 sucking calves. It frequently occurs in cows when they are turned 

 out in winter directly after milking, and in others from chafing by 

 the sucking calf. Some cows are peculiarly subject to sore teats. 

 The fissures when neglected in the early stage of formation become 

 deep, A^ery painful, often l)leeding at the slightest touch, and when 

 milked in that condition cause the animal to become a kicker. Occa- 

 sionally the lower portions of the legs become irritated and chapped 

 when cattle are fed in a muddy or wet yard in winter, or if they are 

 compelled to wade through water in frosty weather. Another form 

 of erythema occurs in young cattle highly fed and closely stabled for 

 a long winter. The erythema appears in patches, and as it is most 

 common near the end of the winter it is known as the " spring erup- 

 tion " or " spring itch." 



Treatment. — In ordinary cases of erythema the removal of the 

 cause and the application of benzoated oxid of zinc ointment, car- 

 bolized cosmoline, or ichthyol ointment applied a few times, will 

 restore the skin to a healthy condition. 



When there are fissures the zinc ointment is the best. If at the 

 teats, a milk siphon (PI. XXIV, fig. 4) should be used instead of 

 milking by hand, and the calf, if one is suckled, should be taken away. 

 The calf should be fed by hand if its mouth is affected. ^V^len the 

 legs are irritated or chapped, dry stabling for a few days and the 

 application of tar ointment will soon heal them. 



URTICARIA (NETTLE RASH, OR SURFEIT). 



This is a mild, inflammatory affection of the skin, characterized by 

 sudden development of patches of various sizes, from that of a nickel 

 to one as large as the hand. The patches of raised skin are marked 

 by an abrupt border and are irregular in form. All the swelling may 

 disappear in a few hours, or it may go away in one place and reap- 

 pear on another part of the body. It is always accompanied with 

 a great desire to rub the affected part. In its simplest type, as just 

 described, it is never followed by any serous exudation or eruptions, 

 unless the surface of the skin becomes abraded from scratching or 

 rubbing. 



Causes. — Digestive derangements caused by overloading the stom- 

 ach when the animal is turned out to graze in the spring, certain 

 feed constituents, high feeding of fattening stock, functional de- 

 rangement of the kidneys, spinal and other nervous affections, are 

 the most common sources of nettle rash. 



