MANGE. 193 



the moulting season. Whatever shape the surfeit may 

 assume, the complaint is evidently caused by the ob- 

 structed pores of the skin. 



It would seem to be a curious circumstance that 

 physic rarely does immediate good in this affection, 

 and sometimes is decidedly injurious; but the expla- 

 nation of this circumstance must be referred to the 

 connexion between the skin and the stomach. It 

 explains why a purgative, which for a while deranges 

 the stomach and bowels, also aggravates the skin erup- 

 tion. The alterative medicine (Recipe No. 4, p. 36) 

 will be highly useful here ; and the disease will gene- 

 rally yield to it, without the inconvenience produced 

 by physic. The evening will be the best time for the 

 administration of these alteratives ; and if the animal 

 be warmed by an extra rug during the night, that 

 will cause the antimony and sulphur to act bene- 

 ficially upon the skin. Strict attention should always 

 be paid to the clothing of the horse while he is taking 

 this medicine. 



MANGE. 



This filthy disease is produced by various causes. 

 Ill-treated or inveterate surfeit will occasionally as- 

 sume the character of mange. A sudden lowering 

 of diet may sometimes produce an eruption on the 

 skin, which speedily degenerates into mange. Poverty 

 and neglect are yet more frequent causes. Diseases 

 of the digestive organs will lay the foundation for 

 affections of the skin ; for it is easy to imagine that 

 such deprivation as will debilitate the frame may 

 affect the surface of the body. There are in these 



K 



