SYMBIOTIC ACARIASIS OF THE EAR IN FERRETS. 

 OTACARIASIS. 



The special acarus of this affection is Symbiotes Auricu- 

 larum var. Furonis, of which the ovigerous female is .38 to 

 .45 mm. and the male .27 to .34 mm in length. 



The lesions have been observed to extend to destructive ulcer- 

 ation and perforation of the tympanic membrane, violent in- 

 flammation of the middle ear, caries of the temporal bone, and 

 meningitis. 



The ferret becomes inactive, lazy, drowsy, stupid and when 

 roused scratches its ear. No acute nervous symptoms have been 

 noticed. The excess of cerumen and the moving acari are diag- 

 nostic. 



If detected early the treatment used for dog and cat is suc- 

 cessful in the ferret. 



SARCOPTIC SCABIES (ACARIASIS) IN CATS. 



Sarcoptic Scabies in Cat. Sarcoptes Minor: 12 to 25 mm. as in rabbit 

 and rat ; not known to be communicable. Man, horse, ox and dog suscepti- 

 ble. Symptoms : Papule on head or neck, forms vesicle, spreads, though 

 rarely to body, hair in tufts, crusted, bald patches, scratches, abrasions, 

 sores, closure of eyelids and nostrils, sniffling. Diagnosis by limited area, 

 itching, number suffering, and presence of acarus. Treatm.ent : By sulphur 

 ointment, styrax ointment, zinc chloride solution. 



' This is caused by the Dwarf Sarcoptes — Sarcoptes Minor 

 var. Cati, of which the ovigerous female is .16 to .25 mm. and 

 the male .12 to .18 mm. long. It has the same size and charac- 

 teristics as that of the rabbit and rat, but it has not been shown 

 that it is communicable from one of these animals to the other, 

 and during its prevalence on farm cats, it has not been noticed 

 that the rats suffered. And yet the sarcoptes of the cat seems to 

 be especially adaptable to other animals. Man has often contracted 

 scabies from cats (Hertwig, Berthold, Marrel, Gerlach, Perron- 

 cito) ; so have horses (Hertwig, Megnin), cattle (Rademacher) 

 and dogs (Delafond). 



Symptoms. The disease usually begins by a minute papule 

 206 



