THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
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THE EARM. 
Diseases of the Skin. 
(Continued from last Issue.) 
S. 8S. CAMERON, M.R.C.V.S.. Chief 
Veterinary Officer, Melbourne, in the 
Victorian “ Journal of Agriculture.” 
NON-PARASTIC SKIN DISEASES. 
—Mud Fever.— 
This is really an eczema of the skin of 
the legs, flanks and abdomen of horses, 
arising from the irritation of mud and 
dirt or the application of cold water when 
the skin is ina heated or blood-flushed 
condition. ‘The skin becomes harsh and 
dry and scurfy and pimples may form and 
be succeeded by scabs, The affection is 
seldom seen in horses whose legs are not 
clipped or washed. 
Treatment.—A laxative drench should 
be given and emollient dressings (oil and 
soda linament) applied. 
—Mallenders and Sallenders — 
These are terms applied to an eczema- 
tous condition of the flexion surfaces of 
the knee and hock (the back of the knee 
and the front of the hock). They are 
often caused by want of care in the 
application of blisters in the region. In 
all cases of counter-irritants being applied 
to thy limbs the skin of the bends or 
flexures of joints should be protected by 
smearing with vaseline or other greasy 
substance. On becoming established 
eczemas in these situations assume a 
special character and are iore difficult to 
cure. The thickened skin on account of 
the movement to which the part is 
continually subject is formed into folds 
between which crevices or cracks occur. 
The edges of these cracks become inflamed 
and covered with dry scabs. The hair 
stands erect and often falls out. If not 
quickly healed the condition becomes 
chronic and a scaly exudate is continually 
formed or the trouble may develop into a 
localised ‘grease,’ 
Treatment.—This will vary with the 
stage of the disease but as a rule the 
treatment recommended for ‘crecked 
heels’ and for ‘grease’ is successful. 
— Cracked Heels in Horses.— 
By cracked heels is understood an 
irritable and inflamed condition of the 
skin of the horse’s heels. It is associated 
with heat, tenderness, and cracks or 
crevices more or less severe, from which 
a serous fluid oozes, and dries as ascab or 
scurf on the borders of the cracks. This 
scurf if allowed to accumulate acts as a 
continual source of irritation, and prevents 
the crack from healing, 
Causes.—Coarse-haired 
and __ beefy- 
constitutional 
tendency to this and allied affections, and 
their heels are always somewhat of a 
trouble to their owners. Another 
predisposing cause may be found in errors 
of diet—the use of mouldy or musty hay. 
Hard-feeding, too, without exercise, will 
cause a congestion of the skin of the heels 
which only needs the exciting cause of a 
little dirt, urine, or other irritating agent, 
to develop into cracked heels. Sometimes 
cracked heels are caused by the chafing 
of a tether rope or the ropes used in 
casting for operations. By far the most 
common cause, however, is the practice so 
much in favor with grooms of washing 
horses’ legs, It is not so much the 
washing either, as the to 
heeled horses have a 
neglect 
January 1, 1909 
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thoroughly dry the legs afterwards. 
Excepta gocd reaction is caused by” 
drying with sponge and towsl and hand- 
rubbing or bandaging, the skin of the 
heels, especially the hind ones, being so 
far removed from the circulation, becomes 
cold and chilled, and slightly swollen ond 
tender, On exercise the swollen skin 
bursts, as it were, and the cracks thus 
formed at the parts where the skin is. 
most flexed; viz., in the niches at the 
back of the pastern. Another 
attendant upon washing is the use of soft 
soap, the lather of which, in addition to 
being difficult to wash off, is extremely 
irritating. Soft soap is made from potash,. 
which is infinitely more caustic than soda, 
the basis of hard soap, so that hard soap 
only should be used. 
thoroughly dry. On account of the great 
prevalence of cracked heels in white-legged 
horses, it has been contended that white 
skin is weaker and more easily inflamed 
than colored (pigmented) skin. 
more reasonable to assume, however, that 
this prevalence of cracked heels on white 
legs is the result of neglect after washing. 
For the sake of cleanliness and appearance 
white legs are washed more often. 
most common exciting cinse, 
Treatment.—The object to be aimed at 
is the abatement of the irritation, and for 
this purpose the scab or exudate which 
forms round the cracks should be removed 
with the fingers as often as it forms, 
emollient or softening and healing oint 
ment should be applied both before 
after the day’s work. Lead Jinamen® 
(Goulard’s extract one part, olive oil eigh” 
parts) is a good application Ordinary 
zinc ointment will relieve the irritable 
condition of the skin, and promote healing 
of the cracks. Zinc ointment with iodo- 
form (one part to eight) is even bette 
and more likely to effect a cure than most 
Serwes 
evil 
Equally essential 
is it that the heels should be rubbed’ 
It is- 
They 
are thus more frequently exposed to the 
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