DISEASES OF THE SKIN AND SUB-TISSU ES. 287 
-hort distance, he is brought back with his neck and sides covered 
with blotches or elevations. On pressing them with the fingers 
they crepitate, showing that they are gaseous elevations or disten- 
sions, originating in the ceilular tissue beneath the skin, from the 
spontaneous generation of gas. The gas probably arises from fer- 
mentation of the food, and instead of accumulating in the intes- 
tix es, finds its way to the surface of the body. 
Treatment.—Dissolve two ounces of hyposulphite of soda in one 
pint of warm water, and drench the animal with the same. Thea 
sponge the body with a portion of the following surfeit lotion: 
No. 34. Aqua ammonia.........eceensecesees 2 OZ 
Animal glycerine......... cocsescecee 1 On, 
Water visi sceseuiss secs estes seoceseee 1 quart. 
If taken in time, the affection will disappear in a few hours. The 
patient should be kept on bran-mashes, well salted, for a few days; 
or a couple of weeks’ run at grass, if the season permits, will be 
of great service. 
DropsicaL Limps (SWELLED Lees, “‘ STOCKING ”’). 
It is a very serious annoyance to the owner of a valuable horse 
to find that, after the animal has been standing in the stable for 
only a period ef twelve hours, his hind limbs have wonderfully 
increased in size; and equally mortifying is it to see some animals 
with their limbs continually tumefied, and without any other ap- 
parent sign of disease. 
Dropsy of the limbs generally proceeds from congestion. The 
serum, or more fluid part of the blood, transudes through the walls 
of the blood-vessels, and accumulates in the cellular tissue, under 
the skin. But dropsy takes place not only in consequence of 
venous congestion, but accompanies very many forms of disease, 
such as scarletina, influenza, farcy; and the cure of such diseases 
also accomplishes the cure of dropsy. 
Causes.—The cause of that form of dropsical limbs which 
seems to occui without any other visible disease is now the sub- 
ject for consideration. When a horse’s limbs swell persistently, 
after a few hours’ rest, and disappears under exercise, we may 
infer that there exists a dropsical diathesis in his system ; that, by 
virtue of his constitution, he is predisposed; and such cases are 
designated as chronic local dropsy. 
