2o8 Veterinary Medicine. 



to man and dog have failed. The polecat is suspected to be the 

 source of the infection. It must not be confounded with the 

 Listrophorous Mustelae which is a harmless commensul on both 

 ferret and polecat. 



It attacks chiefly the head and feet, but may spread to any 

 part of the body. At first there is a moist condition of the skin, 

 with excess of the normal scent, later there are crusts which mat 

 the hair in tufts, then depilation, and the formation of chaps and 

 sores. The head may be covered by a continuous crust broken 

 up into small masses, also the digits and interdigital spaces, and 

 the claws grow out to an extreme length, becoming straight or 

 even bending upward. Intense itching is shown from the begin- 

 ning, the ferret scratching and biting itself with great energy. 

 The concentration of the eruption on the lower surface at the 

 root of the claws, causes the animal to walk slowly and on the 

 back part of the foot. 



Treatment, as in the sarcoptes minor of the cat, is necessarily 

 confined to the use of the simplest non-poisonous acaricides. A 

 liberal use of sulphur in combination with glycerine, vaseline or 

 lard appears to be the best and safest resort. If the crusts are 

 thick and hard, carbonate of potash may be added, or soap may 

 be used as the excipient. 



SARCOPTIC SCABIES OF THE LEGS IN BIRDS. 



Sarcoptes Mutans : Rounded papillary processes on back of female ; ab- 

 sence of suckers at posterior border of male. Symptoms : Disease of scaly 

 part of legs and feet ; exudation under scales forming friable mass, with 

 cavities for acari ; vascular surface, red, tender ; ova rare ; itching worst at 

 night, pecking leg, lameness, weakness, arthritis, gangrene, debility, ema- 

 ciation, ceases to lay ; death in 6 to 12 months. Treatment : Segregate dis- 

 eased, clean, disinfect house, soften scales in tepid water, then smear with 

 sulphur ointment. Naphthalin, lysol, etc., may be used. 



This affection is found not only in chickens, but also in tur- 

 keys, pheasant,s, partridges, bullfinches, goldfinches, paroquets, 

 etc. It is probably common to all granivorous birds and palmi- 

 pedes. 



The cause of the affection is Sarcoptes Mutans, Changing 

 Sarcoptes, which is characterized by the presence of numerous 



