ITCHY TAIL. 153 



TREATMENT. — To protect the part from being rubbed, use a 

 regular tail cover or tail guard, connected by a stra.p to the roller 

 (surcingle). If one of these appliances cannot be procured, roll 

 round the root of the tail a cotton bandage, about 4 yards long 

 and 3 inches broad, which can be kept in its place, if from time to 

 time a lock of hair of the tail is taken up from below, and turned 

 upwards, so that at the next turn of the bandage, the reversed lock 

 of hair may come between two thicknesses of cloth. This bandage 

 can be secured by tapes, sewing, or a safety pin. The presence 

 of the tail cover or bandage not only saves the part from injury ; 

 but also has the effect of inducing the animal to refrain from 

 rubbing it. 



An admirable remedy for itchy tail, when this condition is due 

 to an inflamed state of the skin, is to put, say, a wineglassful of 

 paraffin (kerosene oil) and a pint of water in a bottle, and, after 

 shaking up the contents of the bottle, slowly pour the fluid over the 

 rubbed parts with one hand, while working the fluid into the hair 

 with the fingers of the other hand. One application (which may 

 be repeated) is generally sufficient to stay the irritation. Though 

 this mineral oil does not mix with water, its presence is necessary 

 in this case, to allow only a very small amount of the oil to remain 

 on the part, which it would be apt to blister if left on it in any 

 considerable quantity. The mode of this application may not be 

 scientific, but is, as a rule, very effective. An alternative method 

 of applying this oil is to soak the tail well with water ; rub about 

 half a wineglassful of the oil into the affected parts ; and then 

 pour water freely over them. After this treatment, the use of a 

 tail cover or bandage will rarely be necessary. 



A very effective means for alleviating a rough or chapped con- 

 dition of our hands is rubbing them with paraffin oil, washing with 

 plain water, and then drying them with a towel. 



Instead of applying mineral oil, wash the part well with warm 

 water ; rub- in a plentiful supply of carbolic soft soap, or soft soap 

 in which creolin (one ounce to the pound) has been mixed ; and put 

 on a tail cover or bandage, which is removed the next day. The 

 part should then be washed with warm water, which will make a 

 good lather with the soap that has been previously put on, and we 

 may apply any of the applications given on page 152. This treat- 

 ment may be continued for a few days. The constitutional treat- 

 ment would be similar to that described for simple eczema (p. 151). 



When the irritation is due to docking or worms, the case should 

 be treated in the manner respectively described in the chapters on 

 wounds and internal parasites. 



