THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
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Diseases of the Skin. 
"BARN. 
(Continued from last Issue.) 
‘S. S. CAMERON, M.R.C.V.S.. Chief 
Veterinary Officer, Melbourne in the 
Victorian “ Journal of Agriculture.” 
NON-PARASTIC SKIN 
Netile-rash or Urticaria, 
This acute affection of the skin is 
manifested in the horse, dog and pig. 
In the latter animal it has been taken for 
swine fever on account of the skin 
lesions, but on observation for a day or 
two such a mistake is excusable. 
Symptoms.—The characteristic symp- 
toms are manifested suddenly. 
There may or may not be a preceeding 
itchiness. 
very 
The skin becomes covered 
with elevated ‘blebs’ (vesicles) or boils 
exactly resembling those produced by a 
nettle-sting (urtica—a nettle.) The skin 
‘of the neck and shoulders is usually first 
affected, then that of the back and but- 
tocks. The boils vary in size and may 
coalesce forming blotches or raised 
patches the size of a man’s hand contain- 
ing a watery or serous fluid. The hair 
cn the elevated purts is raised and when 
the hand is pa:sed over the surface of the 
skin a ‘hobnailed’ impression is felt, 
As a rule the symptoms subside as 
velopment of the disease. 
DISEASES. - 
November 1, 1908 
—————— 
rapidly as they appear and in the course 
of a day all is well again. 
Causes.—Nettlerash frequently occurs 
on-abrupt change of diet especially in 
gross or full feeding animals, indigest- 
ible or unusual food is a common cause. 
Jn man the eating of fish sometimes 
precipitates an attack. The disease also 
occurs along with catarrh, jaundice or 
other derangement of the digestive tract. 
In all these cases it is probable that the 
condition arises from irritation -of the 
skin from abnormal substances circulat- 
ing in the blood which haye b2en 
absorbed from the alimentary canal. A 
sudden chilling of the skin when the body 
is over-heated often results in the de- 
In this case it 
would appear to be not so much due to 
the irritation of the skin by cold as to 
the retention of injurious substances in 
the body under the influence of cold 
which would otherwise be” climinated by 
the skin or excretory organs, 
Treatment.—A laxative saline drench 
should be given and usually this isell the 
treatment required. If the irratability 
. of the skin is excessive the prussic acid 
lotion recommended for itch: may be - 
given. 
Warts or Angleberries. - 
The so-called warts or angleberries 
which affect horses and appear as nodu- 
lated masses on the skin of the inner 
ispect inthe region of the thighs and 
arms, and on the nose and faca are really 
fibroid tumours contained in a capsule 
out which they may be easily ‘ flipped’ on 
incising with a sharp blade. In some 
cases on account of surface friction they 
become soreand ulcerated on the surface 
and the contained tumour or ‘kernel’ 
b comes grown to the skin by productive 
- infiammation. — 
In these cases the most_ 
effective treatment is to tie a tight liga- 
tureround the base and allow them to 
slough off. When the base is diffuse so 
thatit will not hold a ligature the 
growths may~ be removed-by dissection 
with the knife or by the application of 
strong cinstics or the hot s2ariny iron. 
(To be Continued,) 
The Shape of Horses Feet. 
A level surface is not the only aima 
farrier has to keep in mind; it may be 
produced with such exactness that a level 
shoe rests on it perfectly, and yet the hoof 
may be altogether out of proportion. 
Both sides of the hoof must be left at 
the same height, and if the sides of a foot 
when it comes to a farrier be of unequal 
height, it is evident that one side must be 
reduced more than the other to obtain a 
proper form. Again, it is clear that if 
the foot be level on both sides, a man 
may rasp away more horn from one part 
than another, and so cause a dispropor- 
tion, Carelessnessin the use of the rasp 
frequently leads to unevenness of the 
bearing surface. 
From the position in’ which-a foot is 
held on or between the knees of a farrier, 
some portions of the hoof are more easily 
reached with the rasp than others. The 
left foot suffers by over reduction of the 
outside and inside toe, the right foot at 
the inside heel and outside toe. A left- 
handed man is liable to injure the feet in 
just the opposite positions. It is equally 
possible to over-lower both heels or only 
the toe. Even when the surface is quite 
even from heel to toa on both sides of 
the hoof, the foot may remain dispropor- 
tionate. The heels may be left too highs 
or the tue toolong andthe proper adjust- 
VY 1@eeER 
Serwves | 
