564 
ECZEMA EPIZOOTICA. 
morphia, they are dissolved to a slight extent, and are left with the 
strychnia in the etherial residue, it is easy to destroy them without 
touching the stability of the poison. A drop or two of concentrated 
sulphuric acid put upon the residue and exposed in a dry, warm place 
for about an hour, will completely destroy all impurity which is likely to 
be present wiih the alkaloid; and then the neutralisation of the acid 
with potash, and a second treatment with ether, will give the strychnia 
sufficiently pure for detection hy most of the colour-tests. I say most of 
the colour-tests, for my experience has led me to abandon the red prus- 
siate of potash and bichromate of potash as very uncertain agents in 
comparison with peroxide of manganese, peroxide of lead, or the gal¬ 
vanic battery. In testing for strychnia, therefore, only one precaution 
is necessary to guard against failure from fallacy or impediment, and 
that is the putting of a little concentrated sulphuric acid upon the 
alkaloid, and the letting it stand for a short time before the introduction 
of the nascent oxygen agent. By adopting this precaution the fallacy 
at once shows itself by the coloration of the acid without the peroxide, 
and the impediment is also destroyed and betrayed. One thing only 
(aniline), as far as is yet known, presents characters at all comparable 
to those of strychnia, and even this fallacy is guarded against by very 
simple precautions,” 
ON ECZEMA IN THE HORSE. 
By H. Lepfer, M.R.C.V.S., Aylesbury. 
My dear Sir,—S ince the year 1840, the time the disease 
termed eczema first came under my notice, when it appeared 
in a most aggravated form among the bovine class of animals, 
and most especially severe in lactescent ones, and soon ex¬ 
tended to pigs and sheep; nor were poultry exempt from its 
baneful influence ;—since that time it has visited this locality, 
in a greater or less degree, every y r ear, the spring being, gene¬ 
rally, its most favorable period of visitation. As time passed 
on it appeared in some degree to weaken its force, and I had 
thought that soon it might altogether disappear. 
I regret, however, to state that during the spring and sum¬ 
mer of the present year it has returned in a form almost as 
virulent as at any former period, and in many of our large 
dairies it has occasioned great losses. 
Not many weeks since I had under treatment a very fine 
dog, having all the ordinary appearances of eczema. The 
feet were very tender, hot, and swollen, so much so that with 
difficulty he could be made to stand; the nose, lips, and 
ears were swollen and numerously covered with vesicles, the 
visible mucous membranes of a very florid colour, the bowels 
constipated, and the appetite impaired, with other febrile 
