572 
CONTEMPORARY PROGRESS OF VETERINARY 
SCIENCE AND ART. 
By John Gamgee, M.R.C.V.S. 
( Continued from p. 531.) 
The Boil of Biskra “ Bouton de Biskra.” Dr. 
Bertherand tells us, that at Biskra, a town at the north of 
the desert of Sahara, man is subject to a singular cutaneous 
affection, which commences in intolerable and long-con- 
tinued itching,— a spot reddens, tumefies; a pimple is formed, 
which discharges a little serosity or pus; a scab results, 
which, on being detached, leaves behind an ulcer, of a lively 
red colour, with erect margins, and constantly secreting 
an abundant sanious discharge of a peculiar odour. The 
development of this circular ulcer is not associated with 
much pain, but it is troublesome. It is a slow chronic 
affection, not inducing constitutional disturbance. 
A singular fact, says Dr. Bertherand, is, that horses are 
affected with the disease ; and a Prussian veterinarian, who 
chanced to have enlisted in the foreign legion, partly attri- 
buted it to the waters the animals drink. The disease 
seemingly has all the character of boils, with a slough forming 
in the interior, and a chancrous ulcer remains, which may be 
treated with simple cerate, or the essence of turpentine ; in 
other cases, a pomatum composed of simple cerate, and the 
red sulphuret of mercury, causes them to heal. Nitrate of 
silver acts favorably on the exuberant granulations, and the 
cicatrix formed is permanent, and white hairs grow from its 
surface. The Prussian veterinary surgeon said, he always 
had met with diseases of the liver and brain, and even 
dropsies, associated with the boil of Biskra, and he considered 
this as dependent on the climate. He had only seen it in 
horses. Dr. Valette believes it to be the rupia simplex , or the 
prominent rupia of English writers ; and referring to man, he 
says, at Malta and at Philippeville it is known. — c Med. et 
Hyg. des Arabes/ par le Dr. E. L. Bertherand , p. 447-454. 
This subject was brought before the Central Veterinary 
Society of France by M. Magne ; and in the discussion which 
followed, allusion was made by M. Reynal* to a disease 
which is seen in summer, after animals have been fed on new 
forage, especially on artificial grasses. It consists in elevated 
conical buds, which ulcerate, and which may be confounded 
with farcy buds. M. Prange considered this urticaria. 
Relating to the same subject, I may say, on Hungarian 
* ‘Recueil de Med. Yet./ May, 1855. 
