CENTRAL VETERINARY MEDICAL SOCIETY. 51 
vailed in the form of an epizootic, and had extended over a very 
extensive tract of country. It was more especially prevalent in 
horses ranging from three to six and seven years old. He had 
not met with more than one or two cases in which it had oc¬ 
curred in aged animals. It differed from the generality of skin 
affections in the absence of any decided evidence of pruritis. 
Animals suffering from the disease showed no desire to rub the 
parts, but displayed great local sensibility and soreness. The 
hyperhsemic condition of the skin was followed by papulation, 
and superficial suppurative action was quickly established. The 
papules were usually discrete, and appeared in greatest numbers 
on the withers and back. They varied in size from that of a pea 
to that of a hazel nut, and their bases were more or less circum¬ 
scribed and indurated. Although commonly occurring on the 
back and withers, it was by no means confined to that region. 
It was a general skin disease, and its more frequent appearance 
on the parts indicated might probably be explained by the me¬ 
chanical irritation of the saddle co-existing with the essential 
pathogenetic condition of the system. Once originated it did 
not cease with the primary eruption, but produced in a large 
majority of cases a succession of papules. In them pus forma¬ 
tion quickly commenced and continued for from three to four¬ 
teen days. The pus, epidermis, and plastic matter thrown out 
during the process ultimately dried into a thick, dark brown 
scab. If the scab were removed prematurely a superficial ul¬ 
ceration would be exposed, somewhat deeper in the centre 
than at the circumference. On the other hand, if allowed to 
remain there was left a very slight cicatrix. In some instances 
the eruption is of very limited extent and of short duration, or it 
may extend over several weeks or even months. He had re¬ 
marked that in some parts of the body the skin eruption had 
assumed the form of urticaria. Especially was this so in 
depending parts, as the under surface of the abdomen. The 
particulars of two cases which had been recently brought under 
his notice were worthy of being related. One referred to a five- 
year-old horse, on whose skin an eruption developed as just de¬ 
scribed. The rug employed for him was subsequently used for 
a five-year-old cob. In the course of a few days the second 
horse became affected, and suffered a severe attack extending 
over several weeks. It might appear from these facts that the 
disease was a contagious disease, but in order that a too hasty 
conclusion might not be drawn, he ought to state that during 
the day previously to the rug being placed upon the second 
horse he had for the first time received as food some Indian 
corn. At the present time he (the president) was disposed to 
attribute the malady to the nature and change of the diet rather 
