ECZEMA 251 



the skin are exposed, forming very characteristic lesions. It 

 is, further, not uncommon to see all or most of the different 

 stages on the different parts of the skin appearing at the same 

 time. Where the skin has been rubbed, scratched, or bitten 

 secondary changes appear which modify the character of the 

 lesions. 



Pruritus is a constant symptom of eczema. In acute cases 

 it is often quite pronounced. If the eczema is acute and 

 diffuse, fever may be present. From the inconvenience and 

 suffering which diffuse eczema produces, the fever and loss of 

 albumin to the body, in time the patient becomes anemic, 

 emaciated, and cachectic. 



Horse. — In the horse the favorite seats of eczema are the 

 skin of the body, the flexion surfaces of the hock, fetlocks, 

 and the mane and tail. In the late spring and summer a 

 rather diffuse papulovesicular eczema occurring in the form 

 of nodules and scabs appears on the neck, back, sides of the 

 shoulders, and croup. This is thought to be due to some 

 " disorder of the blood," and is commonly known as " summer 

 surfeit." In saddle horses in the saddle rest an eczema 

 occurs, largely induced by sweating under the saddle blanket. 

 A seborrheic eczema of the mane and tail is more common 

 than suspected. In these cases the proximal ends of the hairs 

 are embedded in and matted together by a mass of fat, fetid 

 masses of exudate and sebum, over which large, fish-scale- 

 like, enlarged epithelial cells are found. The distal end of the 

 tail is most frequently involved. This form of eczema may 

 lead to the loss of the tail hairs and more rarely to those of 

 the mane. In old, neglected horses out of condition (bad 

 teeth, gastro-intestinal catarrh) a generalized squamous 

 eczema is common. Eczemas of the limbs to which are given 

 such special names as scratches, mallenders, etc., are included 

 in works on surgery. 



Ox. — Eczema is not so common in cattle as in the horse, 

 but is seen to occur where malt or potato residue is fed. It 

 affects principally the hind limbs, and is largely due to the 

 liquid feces which come in contact with the skin of the legs. 

 It may, however, involve the fore limbs, the body, and neck. 

 This eczema is vesicular and crustated. It usually begins with 



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