544 



DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 



According to Ercolani/ the achorion might penetrate the horn or 

 the hoof, as in Onychomycosis favosa of man, and occasion troubles 

 in the integumentary membrane, whi-^h would lead to a loosening 

 of the podophyllous and keratophyllous lamellae ; seedy toe is 

 said to be formed in this way (air-cells of the wall). Ercolani 

 designates this disease onychomycosis and the fungi Achorion kera- 

 tophagus. 



CONTAGIOUS PUSTULOUS DERMATITIS. 



English, Canadian, or American Variola of the Horse : 

 Contagious Acne. 



English or Canadian variola of the horse has nothing in common 

 with the so-called equine variola. It consists of a particular pus- 

 tulous exanthema, which is essentially contagious and is character- 

 ized by circumscribed efflorescences. In its slight form it is marked 

 by vesicles, pustules, and scabs ; in its serious form this process is 

 greatly intensified, and is accompanied by suppuration, pimples, 

 ulcers, and tumefaction of the lymphatic ganglions ; but it always 

 develops without producing either general troubles or itchings. 

 Notwithstanding that its duration is quite long, its prognosis is 

 benign. 



According to Schindelka, this affection seems to be identical with 

 contagious impetigo of man (Kaposi), a disease which is not serious, 

 which has typical characters, and consists essentially in a pustulous 

 exanthema of the scalp. 



IIiSTOKY. According to the statement of Axe, who has given 

 to it the name of Canadian contagious pustulous dermatitis^ Eng- 

 lish variola of the horse was introduced into England in 1877 by 

 horses imported from Canada. It spread rapidly in different 

 regions of the Continent, where it was reported in 1879. Its 

 identity with pustulous stomatitis, which was suspected and even 

 affirmed at this epoch, was not well founded. It seems to have 

 been observed at earlier dates. In 1841 and 1842, Goux de- 

 scribed upon horses of the French army a similar pustulous erup- 

 tion remarkable for its extreme contagiousness, its benign course, 

 and its localization (back, shoulders, croup) ; all the horses of one 

 squadron were affected by it within a couple of weeks; the symp- 



1 Ercolani: II Medico Vet., 1876. 



