74 
GEORGE MULLER. 
DISEASES OF THE SKIN AMONG DOMESTICATED ANIMALS, 
By George Muller, Ph.D., Docent in the Royal Veterinary School 
of Munich. 
(Translated by Wm. S. Gottheil, M.D., Instructor in Dermatology at the N. Y. Polyclinic, 
Lecturer on Histology at the American Veterinary College.) 
(Continued from 'page 41.) 
.. - 
II.— Parasitic Skin Diseases. 
a .—Caused by Vegetable Farasites. 
10.—Alopecia. 
Our domestic animals not uncommonly suffer from partial or 
complete loss of hair, wool, or bristles where attacked by various 
local or general diseases. We may designate the malady alopecia 
symptomatica. Alopecias not thus dependent upon other mala¬ 
dies are, however, rare. 
The condition is seen most frequently in dogs and horses, and 
appears as circumscribed or more extended bald spots, which grad¬ 
ually increase in size until they may involve the greater part of 
the skin. In the dog the back, tail, and thighs are most liable to 
be affected. 
Besides the atrophy of the hairs and the hair sacs, we find 
pigmentary infiltration of the upper layers of the skin, especially 
of the cells of the rete Malpighi, of the rootsheaths and of the 
epithelium cells of the sebaceous glands (Siedamgrotzsky, Boll.) 
Opinions are yet divided concerning the etiology. Some con¬ 
sider alopecia to be caused by atrophy of the cutaneous nerves, 
while others seek an explanation of the disease in the presence of 
vegetable parasites. Nevertheless it has not yet been possible to 
convey the disease by inoculation. 
Treatment is useless and superfluous. It is superfluous 
because spontaneous cure occurs sooner or later; and it is useless 
because all remedies thus far tried have proven valueless. 
Amongst those that have been tested are the fatty and etherial 
oils, alcohols, balsam of Peru, cantharides, sulphur ointment, 
chrysarobin ointment, tar preparations, sublimate solutions and 
tincture of iodine. 
11.—Favus. 
The Achorion Schonleinii causes in dogs, cats, horses (rarely), 
mice and chickens a skin disease which is variously known as 
