390 DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 



mentioned in canine literature were simply modifications of papu- 

 lar eczema. 



The third stage has a great tendency to become chronic. The 

 skin is quite hot, a symptom which is not generally observed 

 during the first stage of the disease; it is also much thickened and 

 4 thickly covered with whitish-gray epidermic scabs. If these are 

 removed, the affected region seems very red and shiny; the skin 

 becomes tougher and more inflamed; the hair becomes erect, 

 breaks off, or falls out to some extent. We see the formation of 

 cracks and fissures, also certain dark pigmentations. A charac- 

 teristic state of this chronic eczema in the dog which may also be 

 developed from the other two forms is that of acute vesicular — 

 that is to say, the moistened scab which forms later may be caused 

 by the slightest irritation, rubbing, tar or carbolic soap, and this 

 disease may reappear each summer, finally becoming chronic, 

 reappearing each spring to dry up the following winter. 



Therapeutic Treatment. In the treatment of eczema we 

 must consider the following facts : 



1. That we have no specific drug that cures this disease; conse- 

 quently it is very erroneous to treat all its forms with one agent only. 



2. That in many cases the tar preparations which have been 

 used almost exclusively are very harmful, as is also the method of 

 systematically washing the animal with strong alkaline or carbolic 

 soaps. The first thing to do is to give attention to the causes and 

 find out from what cause the itching really occurs, as many casef- 

 of eczema disappear as soon as the irritation has been suppressed. 

 The following treatment has given good results : 



(a) We must first remove any cause of itching or irritation in the 

 early stages of eczema erythematosum or eczema madidans. We dust 

 the affected parts with a powder of oxide of zinc, cerussa, sulphur, 

 or thiol mixed with cornstarch. If the affected parts are very moist, 

 they may be dusted with lycopodium or smeared with vaseline. 



R. — Zinc, oxydat. 20.0 



Lycopodium 80 



S. — l)ust on the parts several times daily. 



R . — Plumbi carbonas XO.O 



Amylum pulv 20.0 



Talc, venet. pulv 40.o 



S. — Dust on the parts once daily. 



