442 



sudden clian^e in the food. It is most frequent in the spring and 

 in young andVigorous animals (good feeders). The swelling embraces 

 the entire thickness of the skin and terminates hy an abrupt margin 

 in place of shading oif into surrounding parts. When the individual 

 swellings run together there are formed extensive patches of thickened 

 integument. These may appear on any part of the body, and may be 

 o-eneral; the eyelids may be closed, the lips rendered immovable, or 

 the nostrils so thickened that breathing becomes difficult and snuffling. 

 It may be attended by constipation or diarrhea, or by colicky pams. 

 The eruption is sudden, the whole skin being sometimes covered ma 

 few hours, and it may disappear with equal rapidity or persist for six 



or eight days. ^ 



Treatment.— Thin consists in clearing out the bowels by o drams 

 Barbadoes aloes, or 1 pound Glauber's salts, and follow tlie opera- 

 tion of these by daily doses of one-half ounce powdered gentian and 

 1 ounce Glauber's salts. A weak solution of alum maybe applied to 

 the swellings. 



SCALY SKIN DISEASE— PITYRIASIS. 



This affection is characterized by an excessive production and 

 detachment of dry scales from the surface of the skin (dandruff). It 

 is usually dependent on some fault in digestion, and an imperfect 

 secretion from the sebaceous glands, and is most common in old horses 

 witli spare habit of body. Williams attributes it to food rich m sac- 

 charine matter (carrots, turnips), and the excretion by the skm of 

 oxalic acid. He has found it in horses irregularly worked and well 

 fed and advises the administration of pitch for a length of time, and 

 the' avoidance of saccharine food. Otherwise the horse may take a 

 laxative followed by dram doses of carbonate of potash, and the 

 affected parts niav be bathed with soft tepid water and smeared with 

 an ointment made with vaseline and sulphur. In obstinate cases 

 sulpliur may be given daily in the food. 



NERVOUS IRRITATION OF THE SKIN— PRURITUS. 



Tills is seen in horses fed to excess on grain and hay, kept in close 

 stables, and worked irregularly. Though most common in summer 

 it is often severe in hot, close stables in winter. Pimples, vesicles, 

 and abrasions may result, but as the itching is quite as severe on 

 other parts of the skin, these may be the result of scratching merely. 

 It is especially common and inveterate about the roots of the mane 



and tail. 



Treatment consists in a purgative (Glauber's salts, 1 pound), re- 

 stricted, laxative diet, and a wash of water slightly soured with oil of 

 vitriol and rendered sweet by carbolic acid. If obstinate, give daily 

 1 ounce of sulphur and 20 grains nux vomica. If the acid lotion fails, 



