440 



water. Employ the same precautions as regards feeding, stabling, 

 and care of harness as in simple congestion of the skin. 



In the more inveterate forms of eczema more active treatment is 

 re<iuired. Soak the scabs in fresh sweet oil, and in a few hours remove 

 these with tepid water and castile soap; then apply an ointment of 

 sulphur or iodide of sulphur day by day. If this seems to be losing 

 its effect after a week, change for mercurial ointment or a solution of 

 sulphide of potassium, or of hyposulphite of soda, 3 drams to the 

 quart of water. In these cases the animal may take a course of sul- 

 phur (1 ounce daily), bisulphite of soda (i ounce daily), or of arsenic 

 (5 grains daily) mixed with 1 dram bicarbonate of soda. 



INFLAMMATION WITH PUSTULES. 



In tliis affection the individual elevations on the inflamed skin show 

 in the center a small sack of white, creamy pus, in place of the clear 

 liquid of a blister. They vary in size from a millet seed to a hazel 

 nut The pustules of glanders (farcy buds) are to be distinguished 

 by the watery contents and the cord-like swelling, extending from the 

 pustules along the line of the veins, and those of boils by the inflam- 

 mation and sloughing out of a core of the true skin. The hair on the 

 pustule stands erect, and is often shed with the scab which results. 

 AVhen itching is severe the parts become excoriated by rubbing, and, 

 as in the other forms of skin disease, the character of the eruption may 

 become indistinct. Old horses suffer mainly at the root of the mane 

 and tail and about the heels, and suckling foals around the mouth, 

 on the face, inside the thighs, and under the tail. 



Pustules like eczema are especially liable to result from unwholesome 

 food and indigestion, from a sudden change of food, above all from 

 dry to green food. In foals it may result from overheating of the 

 mare and allowing the first milk after she returns, or by milk ren- 

 dered unwholesome by faulty feeding of the dam. If a foal is brought 

 up by hand the souring and other decompositions in the milk derange 

 the digestion and cause such eruption. Vetches and other plants 

 affected with honeydew and buckwheat have been the cause of these 

 eruptions on white portions of the skin. Disorders of the kidneys or 

 liver are common causes of this affection. 



Treatment— A^yply soothing ointments, such as benzoated oxide of 

 zinc or vaseline with 1 dram oxide of zinc in each ounce. Or a wash 

 of 1 dram sugar of lead or 2 drams hyposulphite of soda m a quart of 

 water may be freely applied. If the skin is already abraded and 

 scabby smear thickly with vaseline for some hours, then wash with 

 soapsuds and apply the above dressings. When the excoriations are 

 indolent they may be painted with a solution of lunar caustic, 2 grains 

 to 1 ounce of distilled water. Internally counteract costiveness and 

 remove intestinal irritants by the same means as in eczema, and fol- 

 low this with one-half ounce doses daily of hyposulphite of soda, and 



