ERUPTIONS OF THE SKIN. 441 



charine matter (carrots, turnips) and to the excretion by the skin 

 of oxalic acid. He has found it in horses irregularly worked and well 

 fed, and advises the administration of pitch for a length of time, and , 

 the avoidance of saccharine food. Otherwise the horse may take a 

 laxative followed by dram doses of carbonate of potash, and the 

 affected parts may be bathed with soft tepid water and smeared 

 with an ointment made with vaseline and sulphur. In obstinate 

 cases sulphur may be given daily in the food. 



NERVOUS IRRITATION OF THE SKIN, OR PRURITUS. 



This is seen in horses fed to excess on grain and hay, kept in close 

 stables, and worked irregularly. Though most common in summer,- 

 it is often severe in hot, close stables in winter. Pimples, vesicles, 

 and abrasions may result, but as the itching is quite as severe on other 

 parts of the skin, these may be the result of scratching merely. It is 

 especially common and inveterate about the roots of the mane and tail. 



Treatment consists in a purgative (Glauber's salts, 1 pound), re- 

 stricted, laxative diet, and a wash of water slightly soured with oil of 

 vitriol and rendered sweet by carbolic acid. If obstinate, give daily 1 

 ounce of sulphur and 20 grains nux vomica. If the acid lotion 

 fails, 2 drams carbonate of potash and 2 grains of cyanide of potas- 

 sium in a quart of water will sometimes benefit. If due to pinworms 

 in the rectum, the itching of the tail may be remedied by an occasional 

 injection of a quart of water in which chips of quassia wood have been 

 steeped for twelve hours. 



HERPES. 



This name has been applied to a disease in which there is an erup- 

 tion of minute vesicles in circular groups or clusters, with little 

 tendency to burst, but rather to dry up into fine scabs. If the vesicles 

 break they exude a slight gummy discharge which concretes into a 

 small, hard scab. It is apparently noncontagious and not appreciably 

 connected with any disorder of internal organs. It sometimes accom- 

 panies or follows specific fevers, and is, on the whole, most frequent 

 at the seasons of changing the coat — spring and autumn. It is seen 

 on the lips and pastern, but may appear on any part of the body. The 

 duration of the eruption is two weeks or even more, the tendency 

 being to spontaneous recovery. The affected part is very irritable, 

 causing a sensitiveness and a disposition to rub out of proportion to 

 the extent of the eruption. 



Treatment. — It may be treated by oxide of zinc ointment, and to 

 relieve the irritation a solution of opium or belladonna in water, or of 

 sugar of lead or oil of peppermint. A course of bitters (one-half an 

 ounce Peruvian bark daily for a week) may be serviceable in brac- 

 ing the system and producing an indisposition to the eruption. 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



