ECZEMA 271 



the skin are exposed, forming very characteristic lesions. It 

 is, further, not uncommon to see all or most of the different 

 stages on the different parts of the skin appearing at the same 

 time. "Where the skin has been rubbed^ scratched, or bitten 

 secondary changes appear which modify the character of the 

 lesions. 



Pruritus is a constant symptom of eczema. In acute cases 

 it is often quite pronounced. If the eczema is acute and 

 diffuse, fever may be present. From the inconvenience and 

 suffering which diffuse eczema produces, the fever and loss of 

 albumin to the body, in time the patient becomes anemic, 

 emaciated, and cachectic. 



Prognosis. — The prognosis is usually good, healing occurring 

 in about three weeks. A seborrheic eczema occasionally is 

 seen in cattle. It is usually diffuse and eventually leads to 

 complete loss of hair. Dampness is a common cause of 

 eczema in sheep which have been exposed to continuous 

 rainfall which keeps the wool soaked. The eczema is usually 

 found along the back and croup. This form of eczema is 

 sometimes called "rain rot." The skin becomes swollen and 

 creviced, and is quite itchy. The areas involved are covered 

 with crusts which, when lifted, expose moist reddened sur- 

 faces. The wool becomes tufted and falls out. Provided the 

 sheep are not removed to shelter they become anemic and 

 emaciated. When the weather gets dry, usually the eczema 

 subsides. 



Horse. — In the horse the favorite seats of eczema are the 

 skin of the body, the flexion surfaces of the hock, fetlocks, 

 and the mane and tail. In the late spring and summer a 

 rather diffuse, papulovesicular eczema occurring in the form 

 of nodules and scabs appears on the neck, back, sides of the 

 shoulders, and croup. This is thought by the ignorant to 

 be due to some "disorder of the blood," and is commonly 

 known as "summer surfeit." In saddle horses in the saddle 

 rest an eczema occurs, largely induced by sweating under the 

 saddle blanket. A seborrhoic eczema of the mane and tail 

 is more common than suspected. In these cases the proximal 

 ends of the hairs are embedded in and matted together by a 

 mass of fat, fetid masses of exudate and sebum, over which 



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