52 CENTRAL VETERINARY MEDICAL SOClEt^ 
than to the fact of the tainted rug having been placed on the 
healthy animal. If they regarded the cause of the malady as 
existing in the rug, it should be understood that it is not neces¬ 
sarily to be viewed in the light of a contagion proper. It was 
well known that purulent matter and other products of disease, 
when applied to healthy skin, may have the effect of exciting an 
eruption by the mere irritation which they set up. After fully 
considering all the facts and circumstances surrounding the dis¬ 
ease, he had arrived at the conclusion that it was essentially an 
ecthyma. Of the exact causation and dissemination of the 
malady he hoped to learn much from those w r ho had had under 
their care large numbers of animals, and whose facilities for 
determining the cause of the affection were greater than 
his. The pathological condition under consideration was not 
uncommon among our domesticated animals. Horses, oxen, 
sheep, and dogs were all more or less liable to ecthyma. Not 
long ago he had the opportunity of examining the skin of one of 
a number of sheep, all of which suffered more or less from acute 
ecthyma, and in that instance the lesions were identical with those 
he had described. Referring to the causes of the affection, he 
regarded them as having a constitutional and also a local origin. 
It would appear that the case he had mentioned to them w r as due 
either to contagion, pus, irritation, or the constitutional influence 
of Indian corn, and he was disposed to regard the latter as the 
real cause of the affection. Other influences no doubt may, and 
do, operate as predisposing causes; such, for example, as crowded 
and badly ventilated stables, bad drainage, insufficiency of food 
and overwork, or indeed anything that conduces to debility and 
systemic derangement. As exciting causes, experience pointed 
to mechanical and chemical irritants and the irritation of para-, 
sites. In conclusion he hoped that the brief observations he had 
made would be sufficient to excite all the interest which the 
subject deserved, and that those present would freely contribute 
their experience to the members of the society. 
Mr. Fleming said he was sure the Pellows of the Society were 
very much obliged to the president for bringing the matter be¬ 
fore them. There was no doubt a large prevalence of the 
malady. He should not have been there on that occasion, but 
for his hope that the subject might be introduced. He came 
there, not because he had seen anything of the malady, although 
his regiment had been stationed in London in the Regent's Park 
barracks, one of the most unhealthy barracks, perhaps, in this 
part of the country, but still not a single case had occurred 
among the horses of the regiment, the strength of which was 272 
horses, and 52 officers' chargers. That might be regarded as a 
rather curious circumstance, and one, perhaps, which rather 
