CHAPTER XL 



Of the Skin and its Diseases. 



The skin of the horse consists of three parts, differing 

 in appearance from each other, namely, the cutis, or 

 true skin ; the cuticle, epidermis, or scarf-skin ; and 

 the rete-mucosum. 



THE CUTICLE 



Is placed externally ; it is very thin and somewhat 

 transparent and tough. In the living animal this 

 may be proved by application of a blister : serum is 

 effused from the exhalents of the cutis, and the cuticle 

 becomes elevated by it in the form of small pellucid 

 bladders. This membrane is continually growing, 

 and the scales which are brushed out in grooming 

 are scaly portions of the cuticle. 



The cuticle seems to be composed of very thin 

 flexible scales, somewhat resembling the scales of a 

 fish, and similar to them in arrangement. The 

 cuticle is produced by the true skin, and is perforated 

 by both its exhalent and absorbent pores. In almost 

 all parts of the body the cuticle is thickly clothed 

 with hair, but that of the nose, the lips, and the 

 interior of the ear, the borders of the eyelids, and 

 the inside of the superior portion of the thighs, is 

 naked ; and in all those places is thinner in substance 

 than on the other parts, which are invested with 

 hair. The colour of the cuticle is the same in all 



