THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 283 



or if the warts grow in bunches, too numerous and too close together to 

 be cut away, pick off or otherwise chafe the rough outer surface so as to 

 make it bleed ; then with a stiff brush rub in yellow orpiment wetted 

 with a little water, and in a few days they will come away, or may be 

 rubbed off, and leave a healthy sore, which soon heals. If the entire 

 wart does not come off by reason of one application, repeat. 



When the penis is wholly covered with warts, the best plan is to have 

 it amputated, as the warts cannot easily be removed without destroying 

 as much of it as it would be necessary to remove entirely in order to be 

 rid of them. 



Xm. Vermin. 



Causes — Vermin are both a cause and a consequent of skin disease ; 

 and being also bred in the hairy covering, perhaps in the very skin 

 itself, they are properly treated in this connection. 



Every species of animal is more or less troubled with his own peculiar 

 insect tormentor ; and while no well-defined cause can be assigned as to 

 their origin, they are almost always found associated with filth and 

 squalor. 



They sometimes, however, trouble animals of fair condition, and accus- 

 tomed to reasonable care ; but in this case they are caught by contact. 



Poor, ill-cared-for, mangy horses, colts in the Spring of the year, with 

 long, uncurried coats, and old and feeble horses with like rough and 

 shaggy covering, most probably breed them ; and on these they are most 

 frequently and plentifully found. 



The itching torment to which they subject diseased animals doubtless 

 intensifies whatever disorder may exist ; and the very earliest opportunity 

 should be taken to eradicate them from the sufferer. 



When horses stand in proximity to a hen-house, they are often 

 seriously annoyed with hen-lice, which are even more tormenting than 

 those peculiar to the horse himself. 



How to know it. — The horse infested with vermin will usually mani- 

 fest his uneasiness by biting and rubbing himself ; but their presence 

 may be unmistakably detected by a more or less careful examination of 

 his coat. 



What to do. — If the horse is suffering from some skin disease requit- 

 ing treatment, the means adopted for this will almost invariably suflSce of 

 themselves to remove the vermin ; but where no such disease exists, and 

 it is a simple case of lousiness, anoint him with the following salve : 



