OBSERVATIONS ON A FEW CASES OF PORRIG0. 17l 
Iii tlic case of tlie young retriever dog tlie P. decalvans was 
found to encircle both eyes, to fully the extent of two thirds of 
an inch broad around each eye. There was also a spot about 
the size of a sixpenny piece on the near forearm. The disease in 
this case had existed about six weeks, and had received scarcely 
any treatment. When I examined the puppy on the 9th of 
November it presented the following appearances :—To the 
naked eye the affected parts were grayish-white in colour, 
destitute of hair, quite dry, and rather wrinkled-looking. 
Under a good object glass a few isolated hairs and multitudes 
of scales were visible; but no exudation, no spherical bodies, 
and no moistness. Apparently the disease had run its course 
and come to a natural termination; no doubt, however, but 
these dry-looking scales contained the usual fungoid germs 
ready to produce anew the porrigo under favorable circum¬ 
stances. In fact, on afterwards examining the dried scales 
under the microscope, subsequent to their being well soaked 
in some warm distilled water, their origin, nature, and com¬ 
position became quite obvious, the usual fungoid germs or 
sporules and cylindrical bodies being clearly distinguishable. 
After seeing this I advised the dog's owner to apply a weak 
mercurial ointment, which had the desired effect. 
A rather laughable instance of the transmission of P. de¬ 
calvans from the lower animal to the human subject came 
under my notice in the month of June last. A young com¬ 
mercial gentleman, belonging to this locality, who is very 
fond of dogs and of doctoring them, happened to come 
once or twice in contact with a half-bred mastiff dog which 
was extensively affected with this disease. After handling 
the dog he had, as a matter of course , handled the hair about 
the back of his own head; in consequence of which, about a 
week or ten days afterwards, the hair began to fall off from 
his occiput, leaving a spot about the size of a penny piece quite 
bare and bald in a very short time. Here was a pretty story 
indeed—a young fellow of five and twenty becoming thus 
prematurely bald. 
The denuded spot, when I saw it, was rather livid looking, 
and had not a single vestige of a hair left; besides which it 
was considerably lighter in colour than the surrounding hair- 
covered scalp. I advised this bald young gentleman to con¬ 
sult a medical man, and get the disease stopped at once, in 
which case the hair would soon appear again. I need only 
add that the result proved that my diagnosis and prognosis 
were both correct. 
In the month of October last, at a farm about five miles 
distant from this place, I discovered a very curious and inter- 
XLV. 12 
