SECTION XI. 
AFFECTIONS OF THE SKIN. 
CHAPTER I. 
ECZEMA. 
Eczema is one of the most common and annoying affections of the skin with 
which dog-owners are forced to contend. It resists with exceeding obstinacy, 
as a rule, there being no royal remedy, nor even general method of management 
likely to lead to cures in a very large proportion of cases, owing in part at 
least to the fact that the disease may spring from a great variety of causes and 
present many peculiarities of form, thus necessitating quite as many modifica- 
tions in the way of treatment. 
Some cases of eczema depend upon conditions that are purely local, — that 
is, troubles with the skin only,— while others are due to diseases or derangements 
within the body. Some, also, are limited to small areas, while others extend over 
much of, if not the entire surface. Some, again, are simple eczemas, each of 
which may be the product of a single cause, and ought to yield readily to proper 
treatment ; whereas there are as often encountered others in which the disease 
is due to a combination of causative elements,— to several causes,— each of 
which it may be necessary to attack in turn and overcome before a cure will be 
possible. In many instances there exists on the same subject two or more 
forms of the disease. For example, on one part of the body of a dog there may 
be a large, deep-red and raw spot, from which there is a constant oozing in 
abundance ; on another part, a spot covered by thick scabs; on the inside of the 
legs, groups of pimples ; while around the eyes and back of the ears the skin be 
dry and rough, and covered by thin bran-like scales. Finally, while it ought to 
be possible in most cases to discriminate between mange and eczema, mistakes 
are common, because of the intolerable itching invariably present in the latter ; 
and beyond doubt much the largest proportion of cases of that disease are 
assumed to be mange, and treated as such, with, of course, only negative results. 
Unfortunately, so close is the resemblance between some of the classes of 
eczema, that really differ so widely, it is often exceedingly difficult, and even 
impossible, for the non-professional to distinguish between them. It follows 
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