SKIN DISEASES. 465 



bitch who was attacked by this form of eruption. There is 

 considerable thickening of the skin with an offensive discharge 

 from the surface, chiefly flowing from the cracks and ulcerations 

 under the scabs on it. This dries and falls off in scales, taking 

 with them a good deal of the hair, which, is furthur removed by 

 the constant scratching of the poor dog, who is tormented with 

 incessant' itching. Almost always there is a fat unwieldy state 

 of the system from want of exercise, but the appetite is often 

 deficient. The treatment is founded upon the constitutional 

 nature of the disease, which is not caused by any parasite or 

 vegetable growth, and is solely the result of what is commonly 

 called foulness of the blood. The first thing to be done is to 

 clear out the bowels by a brisk aperient, such as (12) or (13). 

 Then give low diet without flesh, starving the dog till he is ready 

 to eat potatoes and green vegetables, alternately with oatmeal 

 porridge, — and then only in moderate quantities. As soon as the 

 stomach is brought down to this kind of food, but not before, begin 

 to give the liquor arseniealis with the food, the dose being a drop 

 to each four pounds in weight of the animal, and thus a dog of 

 eight pounds' weight will require two drops three times daily ; 

 taking care to divide the food into three equal portions, and not 

 to, give more of this altogether than is required for the purpose 

 of health. The arsenic must be administered for weeks or even 

 months, and as soon as the itching seems abating, and the health 

 is improved, the mangy parts of the skin may be slightly dressed 

 with small quantities of sulphur and pitch ointments mixed in 

 equal proportions. By a perseverance in these remedies for two 

 or three months, the blood becomes purified, and the eruption dis- 

 appears, after which, if the health seems impaired, a stomachic or 

 tonic (59) or (^ 2 )> will often be required. Sometimes the oint- 

 ment (58a) will be required, 



2 G 



