SHEDDING OF HAIR AND WOOL. 



531 



surface becomes bare and the animals may be entirely naked. In 

 the horse alopecia is frequently preceded or accompanied by gastric 

 troubles, œderaatous tumefactions of the legs, of the lower abdom- 

 inal wall, and of the sternal region (Adam, Siedamgrotzky) ; in 

 other cases no important accessory symptom is observed ; the fallen 

 hairs are generally replaced within a few weeks. In the dog, at 

 the same time that alopecia is produced a pigmentation of the skin 

 is developed which seems to be " a protective measure destined to 

 supplement the hair production." On microscopical examination 

 of such modified skin, Siedamgrotzky observed atrophy of the hair 

 and hair bulbs, as well as a black or brown granulous infiltration 

 of the cells of the Malpighian follicles of the sheaths of the root of 

 the hair, of the hair bulbs and sebaceous glands. In the sheep,, 

 when the wool falls out in agglomerated tufts, the animals some- 

 times show large bare blotches. 



2. Areolated alopecia is marked in its initial phase by small, 

 bare spots, the periphery of which goes on increasing. It is most 

 frequently observed on the dog, and with the exception of specific 

 fungi, it has absolutely the characters of tonsarating scurvy of 

 the head. Roll found it once in the horse. At the beginning it 

 was marked by small blotches, which were bare of hair ; within a 

 year it extended over the greater part of the surface of the body. 

 With atrophy of hair bulbs a very accentuated black pigmentation 

 was observed. Schindelka has described a similar case in the horse. 

 The constant absence of micro-organisms has led to the admission 

 of an atrophic process as a cause of the trouble. The affection is 

 very obstinate ; it generally resists all treatment. 



Treatment. We may try to stimulate the hair bulbs. Ordi- 

 narily we use alcohol, opodeldoc (linimentum saponis comp.), and 

 camphorated alcohol ; we may also use diluted tincture of can- 

 tharides (in an alcoholic solution of 1 : 5 or in ointment). In 

 areolated alopecia we recommend balsam of Pern, which is a stim- 

 ulant and an antiseptic at the same time (1 part to 10 of alcohol), 

 cresol (1 part to 10-20 of alcohol), and tincture of iodine, to which 

 we add an equal quantity of alcohol, and which is to be applied for 

 several days consecutively by means of a brush. 



Trofimo has pointed out a peculiar " pilous " affection, which is 

 identical with the disease of man which Kaposi has designated 

 under the name of Trichorrhexis nodosa. On two-thirds of the 

 horses of an artillery brigade he has seen on the back, lumbar 



