OF THE SKIN OF THE HORSE. 
249 
again, an eruption of this kind will break out soon after the ani¬ 
mal has partaken of mow-burnt hay, dried beans, or any other 
kind of provender which may have become altered from its na¬ 
tural condition by a chemical process. 
Above I have stated my reasons for believing that eruptive 
diseases may be either the immediate result of an irritation of the 
internal membrane of the stomach, or caused by a vitiation of the 
chylous fluid. I think, however, that it is evident that the for¬ 
mer, viz. irritation of the villous coat of the stomach, propa¬ 
gated along to the rete mucosum, is the common cause of the 
acute affection to which I have alluded, inasmuch as the erup¬ 
tion appears so immediately after the exciting cause that time 
sufficient to admit of its acting through vitiation of the fluids 
has not been allowed to intervene. 
This seems to be proved by the effects that some indigestible 
and acrid substances, or even the most common substances un¬ 
der particular circumstances, have upon human subjects of a 
peculiar idiosyncrasy. I have known the eating of half a dozen 
of unripe gooseberries, or a small quantity of unripe fruit of any 
kind, produce, almost immediately, a very severe erythematous 
attack, attended with a most harassing itching over the whole 
body. A draught of cold water, taken when the body was heated, 
has also produced erythema; and in some individuals, spirits, 
dried beans and pease, nuts, raw rice, &c. have a similar effect. 
On the other hand, irritants applied immediately to the rete 
mucosum itself give rise to symptoms completely resembling the 
effects produced by acrids taken into the stomach. The sting 
of a honey-bee upon the face has been followed with an acute 
attack of nettle-rash; and it is well enough known, that in 
bilious subjects a leech-bite, a prick with a pin, or any irritating 
scratch, will be followed by erysipelas. From these facts I 
would say, that it is demonstrable that this complaint resides 
in an irritability of the stomach, and the sympathy existing 
between it and the skin. 
The indication of cure for the removal of such an eruption as 
that mentioned above, is necessarily the removal of the irritabi¬ 
lity, or the cause of the irritation. 
The class of animals to which my attention is directed live 
wholly upon vegetables, which require much more time to digest, 
and are much more apt to run into fermentation, than animal 
diet. From the greater length of time required to digest vege¬ 
tables, and the tendency to acetous fermentation which exists, a 
natural remedy seems to be alkaline medicines, given in such 
quantity as shall neutralize the acid produced ; or tonics, or 
antacids, given with the food, to prevent it from running into 
