DISEASES OP THE WITHERS. 765 



to the slightest form of pathological change, may serve as a spark 

 which may kindle into the most serious case of fistulous, diseased 

 withers. 



(a) Bxcoriation.— This is the simplest of the lesions of the skin 

 covering the withers, or any portion of the body. It is most com- 

 mon in summer, when it appears in the form of a red spot, becom- 

 ing rapidly covered with an abundant serous exudation, which 

 rapidly forms a yellow or brownish crust, adherent to the under- 

 lying tissues. This is always painful, especially in summer, when 

 it excites a violent pruritis, which may degenerate into a lesion 

 of a serious nature. 



Excoriations, however simple, ought never to be neglected, and 

 precautions should always be taken against them. When they do 

 occur, local healing applications, usually simple ones, are sufficient, 

 and should be made without delay. 



(b) Warm (Edema . — This is the result of the laceration of 

 the subcutaneous cellular tissue and its subsequent inflammation. 

 Saddle horses suffer from it, especially in summer and after long 

 journeys. At such times, the skin becoming more or less adher- 

 ent to the saddle, the motion of the animal, together with that 

 of the skin, is communicated with every step to the subjacent 

 cellular tissue (a sort of rubbing, to-and-fro motion) ; and this vio- 

 lence, though slight, produces by its long continuance the natural 

 effect of inducing an inflammatory state in the tissue. This 

 oedema is characterized by a tumefaction of the parts, warm and 

 pitting under pressure, more or less painful, and having a tendency 

 to spread toward dependent structures. It disappears by resorp- 

 tion in two or three days, but leaves a sUght thickening of the 

 cellular tissue, sometimes difficult to detect. This resorption 

 takes place if the originating cause has, within a moderate period, 

 ceased to operate; but if, on the contrary, it has been permitted 

 to keep up its irritating action, the cedema wUl increase, and in 

 due time the condition will be changed to that of suppuration, — a 

 termination to be, if possible, by all means anticipated and pre- 

 vented. 



The removal of the cause, sometimes accomplished by merely 

 giving the patient a season of rest, is the most important item in 

 the treatment. The resorption of the cedema can be accelerated 

 by means of massage, cold compresses, astringent lotions, weak 

 stimulating frictions of an alcoholic nature, or cold irrigations. 



