200 SUEFEIT. 



Stmptoms. — The syiiq)tomB of Prurigo are well marked, 

 la its milder forms the itching prevails over the skin generally, 

 but not violently. In the worst forms the itching increases, 

 and the violence of the patient is frequently excessive. The 

 animal, unless prevented, will rub with duch fury against any 

 projecting body favourable for the purpose, that the skin in 

 many places speedily becomes raw and bleeding. I have, on 

 numerous occasions, treated cases of this nature, where the 

 itching of the skin was so excessive as to cause the horses to 

 throw themselves upon the ground, and rub against it until 

 they either ceased from exhaustion, or were forced by beating 

 to desist. 



In other forms of Prurigo, particularly when old horses 

 manifest it, the disease will appear at certain periods ; while, 

 in other animals, in spite of every known kind of treatment, 

 the disease will constantly be present. Of the former, we fre- 

 quently observe it to appear during the hot months of summer ; 

 of the latter, all I can say about it is, that it appears to depend 

 upon a bad state of the digestive organs. Horses thus affected 

 are always gross feeders and possessed of ravenous apeetites. 



The periodic attacks of Prurigo are marked by different 

 states of severity. Sometimes the attack is mild; at other 

 times the patient vnU so bite and rub himself, as to denude the 

 skin of hair, or otherwise they give to it the appearance of 

 being affected with Mange. 



Tebatment. — Attention should iu the first instance be 

 directed to the diet of the patient. Unless this be properly 

 regulated, medicine will prove of little or no avail. Every 

 article af food which tends to maintain the morbid irritation of 

 the skin should be at once disused, and others of a cooling ten- 

 dency substituted. 



