134 PARASITIC SKIN DISEASES. 



live on the veldt, are generally infested with them. The females 

 cling to the horse's skin by means of their teeth, and fill themselves 

 with blood, in doing which they cause little or no irritation to their 

 host. They are best removed by dropping a little turpentine or 

 paraffin oil on them, on the application of which they will relax 

 their hold and fall off. Or they may be snijoped off with a 

 scissors, when the head, which remains attached at the time, will 

 soon dry up and fall off. They should not be pulled off; for if that 

 be attempted, the piece of skin by which the parasite has main- 

 tained its position, will become lacerated by the teeth of the tick, 

 and a troublesome wound may result. The advisability of throw- 

 ing the detached tick into boiling water or fire is manifest. 



Poultry Mites (Dermanyssus galIi?icE). 



The poultry mite belongs to the same order (Acarina) as the 

 man2:e insect of the horse and the itch insect of man, and is about 

 a fortieth of an inch in length. These parasites, which infest ill- 

 kept poultry and pigeons, are apt to settle on the horse, if these 

 birds be allowed free entrance into the stable, or if they bo kept 

 close to it. They cause intense itching of the skin. As they can 

 live for only two or three days away from their natural host ; re- 

 moval of the birds or of the horse will constitute the only treatment 

 required. If an application be considered necessary, we can use 

 an ounce of creolin, or Jeyes' Fluid, to a pint of water. They 

 freely attack human beings who come in contact with infested birds, 

 or who sit down on coops occupied by them. 



Mange Insects. 



Mange is a contagious disease caused by the presence of a small 

 insect that varies in length from a fortieth to a hundredth part of 

 an inch, according to the species, of which there are three. One 

 of the species (sarcoptes) and the itch insect of man are varieties 

 of the same parasite. 



PREVALENCE. — I am led to believe from the experience of 

 many careful observers, that mange is a somewhat rare disease. 

 The term, however, being a convenient one, is often indiscriminately 

 and incorrectly applied to any skin eruption which, like true (that 

 is, parasitic) mange, is accompanied by itching and the formation 

 of scabs. 



VARIETIES. — The following are the three species of these in- 

 sects : — • 



