DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 339 



In the vesicular stage, when the skin is feverish and the epidermis 

 peeling off, exposing the exuding dermis, an application of boracic 

 acid solution, 2 drams of the acid to 8 ounces of water, will often 

 relieve the smarting or itching, and also serve to check the exudation 

 and dry the surface. If this fails to have the desired effect, use 

 creolin, 1 ounce to a quart of water, as a wash. Either of these 

 washes may be used several times a day until incrustation is well 

 established. Then use creolin, 1 ounce to a pint of sweet oil, or the 

 benzoated oxid of zinc ointment, giving the affected surfaces a 

 thorough application once a day. When the eczema is not the result 

 of an external irritant, it takes usually from one to two weeks before 

 the healing is completed. 



In chronic eczema, where there is a succession of scabs, or scales, 

 indolent sores or fissures, the white precipitate ointment, nitrate of 

 mercury' ointment, or blue ointment, mixed with equal parts of cos- 

 moline or fresh lard, may be applied every second day, taking care to 

 protect the paii:s so anointed that the animal can not lick it off. 



In some cases the use of the following mixture will do well : Oil of 

 tar one-half ounce, glycerin 1 ounce, alcohol 1 pint. Rub this in 

 after cleansing the parts with warm water and soap. The internal 

 administration of arsenic often yields excellent results in chronic 

 eczema. Take 1 dram of arsenic, 1 dram of carbonate of potash, 1 

 pint of boiling water, and give 1 ounce of this twice a day in water, 

 after feeding. An alkali internally may be of service. As such, one 

 may give 2 ounces of bicarbonate of soda twice daily. Sublimed 

 sulphur may also be tried in ounce doses twice daily. 



PUSTULES (impetigo). 



Impetigo is an inflammatory disease of the skin, charact-erized by 

 the formation of distinct pustules, about the size of a pea or a bean, 

 unattended by itching. The pustules develop from the papular layer 

 of the skin, and contain a yellowish-white pus. After reaching 

 maturity they remain stationary for a few days, then they disappear 

 by absorption and dry up into crusts. Later the crusts drop off, 

 leaving upon the skin a red spot which soon disappears. Occasion- 

 ally the crusts remain firmly adherent for a long time, or they may 

 be raised and loosened by the formation of matter underneath. The 

 dry crusts usually have a brown or black appearance. 



Causes. — Impetigo affects sucking calves, in which the disease 

 appears upon the lips, nostrils, and face. It is attributed to some 

 irritant substance contained in the mother's milk. Impetigo is also 

 witnessed among grazing animals, regardless of age, and it especially 

 attacks animals with white hair and skin. The mouth, face, and 

 limbs become covered with pustules, which may nipture in a few 

 hours, followed by rapid and successive incrustations; the scabs fre- 



