AILMENTS AND THEIR TREATMENT 333 



ally, say once a week, and if diarrhoea be present it may be checked 

 by the addition of a little morphia or dilute sulphuric acid. Cream of 

 tartar with sulphur is an excellent derivative, being both diuretic 

 and diaphoretic, but it must not be given in doses large enough to 

 purge. At the same time we may give thrice daily a tonic pill like the 

 following : 



Sulphate of quinine, $ to 3 grains ; sulphate of iron, $ grain to 5 

 grains ; extract of hyoscyamus, i to 3 grains ; extract of taraxacum 

 and glycerine enough to make a pill. 



Locally Perfect cleanliness. Cooling lotions patted on to the 

 sore places. Spratts' Cure. (N.B. I know what every remedy 

 contains, or I should not recommend it.) Benzoated zinc ointment 

 after the lotion has dried in. Wash carefully once a week, using the 

 ointment when skin is dry, or the lotion to allay irritation. 



(2) CONTAGIOUS SKIN DISEASES. These are usually called mange 

 proper and follicular mange, or scabies. I want to say a word on the 

 latter first. It depends upon a microscopic animalcule called the 

 Acarus folliculorum. The trouble begins by the formation of patches, 

 from which the hair falls off, and on which may be noticed a few pimples. 

 Scabs form, the patches extend, or come out on other parts of the body, 

 head, legs, belly, or sides. Skin becomes red in white-haired dogs. 

 Odour of this trouble very offensive. More pain than itching seems 

 to be the symptomatic rule. Whole body may become affected. 



Treatment Dress the affected parts twice a week with the 

 following 



Creosote, 2 drachms ; linseed oil, 7 ounces ; solution of potash, 1 

 ounce. First mix the creosote and oil, then add the solution and 

 shake. Better to shave the hair off around the patches. Kennels 

 must be kept clean with garden soap and hot water, and all bedding 

 burned after use. From three months to six will be needed to cure bad 

 cases. 



MANGE PROPER is also caused by a parasite or acarus, called the 

 Sarcops canus. Unlike eczema, this mange is spread from dog to dog 

 by touch or intercommunication, just as one person catches the itch 

 from another. 



The Symptoms At first these may escape attention, but there are 

 vesicles which the dog scratches and breaks, and thus the disease spreads. 

 The hair gets matted and falls off. Regions of the body most com- 

 monly affected, head, chest, back, rump, and extremities. There may 

 not be much constitutional disturbance from the actual injury to the 

 skin, but from his suffering so much from the irritation and the want of 

 rest the health suffers. 



Treatment Avoid the use of so-called disinfectants. Most of those 

 sold as such are simply deodorisers, and, applied to the skin, are useless. 

 Nor are they of much use in cleaning the kennels. Nothing suits 

 better for woodwork than, first, carbolic wash, and then a thorough 

 scrubbing with hot water and garden soap. 



Some ointment must be used to the skin, and as I am writing for 

 laymen only I feel chary in recommending such strong ones as the 

 green iodide of mercury. If you do use it mix it with twice its bulk 

 of the compound sulphur ointment. Do over only a part or two at 



