An eruption between the toes, similar in its nature and cause to "blotch," is also very common, showing itself chiefly at the roots of the nails, where there are considerable redness and swelling, and so much tenderness as to make the dog quite lame. In bad cases, when the constitution is impaired by defective kennel arrangements, the sores become very foul, and are then very difficult to heal. In order to remove this state of things, the general health must first be attended to, using the same means as in "blotch" if the cause is the same, and touching the sores themselves with blue-stone, which should be well rubbed into the roots of the nails, first scraping it to a fine point. When the health is much impaired and the sores are in the foul state described above, give from five to eight drops of liquor arsenicalis with each meal, which for this condition should be of good nourishing food. This remedy must be continued for weeks, or even months in some obstinate cases. Here, after applying the blue-stone, it is often of service to rub in a very little tar-ointment, and then dust all over with powdered brimstone, dipping the foot into a box of it being the best mode of applying it. Foul mange (resembling the psoriasis of man in its nature) is a most unmanageable disease, inasmuch as it has become quite constitutional before it can be so designated, and because, being a disease of the blood, it requires a complete change in the composition of this fluid before it can be eradicated. It is doubtful whether mange is contagious, but that it is hereditary I have no doubt whatever, the proofs within my own knowledge being amply sufficient to convince me of the fact. Thus I have seen a bitch EE apparently cured of it, and with a perfectly healthy skin, produce a litter of whelps all of which broke out with mange at four or five months old, though scattered in various parts of the country at their walks; the bitch afterwards showing the impurity of her blood by again and again becoming the subject of mange. I should therefore never breed from either a dog or bitch who was attacked by this form of eruption. There is considerable thickening of the skin with an offensive discharge from the surface, chiefly flowing from the cracks and ulcerations under the scabs on it. This dries and falls off in scales, taking with them a good deal of the hair, which is further removed by the constant scratching of the poor dog, who is tormented with incessant itching. Almost always there is a fat unwieldy state of the system from want of exercise, but the appetite is often deficient. The treatment is founded upon the constitutional nature of the disease, which is not caused by any parasite or vegetable growth, and is solely the result of what is commonly called foulness of the blood. The first thing to be done is to clear out the bowels by a brisk aperient, such as (12) or (13). Then give low diet without flesh, starving the dog till he is ready to eat potatoes and green vegetables, alternately with oatmeal porridge, and then only in moderate quantities. As soon as the stomach is brought down to this kind of food, but not before, begin to give the liquor arsenicalis with the food, the dose being a drop to each four pounds in weight of the animal, and thus a dog of eight pounds' weight will require two drops three times daily; taking care to divide the food into three equal portions, and not to give more of this altogether than is required for the purpose of health. The arsenic must be administered for weeks or even months, and as soon as the itching seems abating, and the health is improved, the mangy parts of the skin may be slightly dressed with small quantities of sulphur and pitch ointments mixed in equal proportions. By a perseverance in these remedies for two or three months, the blood becomes purified, and the eruption disappears, after which, if the health seems impaired, a stomachic or tonic, (59) or (62), will often be required. Sometimes the ointment (58a) will be required. Virulent mange (which may be compared to psora and porrigo in the human subject) is of two kinds, one attributable to a parasitic insect, and the other of vegetable origin. In the former case, which is its most common form, it appears in large kennels where cleanliness is not sufficiently attended to, and when the floors become loaded with the excretions. There is no doubt that this is highly contagious, but there is also little difference of opinion as to its being capable of being bred or developed among a lot of previously healthy dogs if mismanaged in the above way. The skin shows itself bare of hair in large patches of irregular form, and the hair being as it were gradually worn away at the edges, as if by scratching. The skin is dry and rough, with cracks and creases in various directions, from some of which a thin ichorous discharge may be seen to flow, on removing the scabs which fill them. The dog feeds well, but from want of sleep is languid and listless; there is considerable thirst and some slight feverishness, but very often the flesh is maintained for months at a high rate. The treatment of this form of mange is founded upon the belief that it is caused by an insect of the acarus tribe, which has been detected by the microscope in many cases, but which by some people is maintained to be an accidental effect, and not a cause of mange. However this may be, it is found that remedies which are destructive to insect life, are by far the most efficacious, such as hellebore, sulphur, corrosive sublimate, tobacco, &c. The second kind of virulent mange is more rare than that described above, and still more difficult of cure, the vegetable parasite being less easily destroyed than the insect. This parasite is supposed to be of the nature of mould or fungus, which we all know is most obstinately tenacious of life, and is reproduced again and again in any liquid where it has once developed its germs. In outward appearance this variety of mange differs very little from the insectproduced form, but it may be known by its generally attacking young puppies, while the other appears at all ages, but chiefly in the adult animal. The hair falls off in both, but there is more scab in the insect mange, probably from the fact, that it does not produce such violent itching, and therefore the scratching is not so incessant. The treatment is nearly the same in both cases, being chiefly by external remedies, though alteratives, stomachics, and tonics, are often required from the loss of health which generally accompanies the disease. In all cases, therefore, it is necessary to attend to this, giving generally a mild aperient first, such as (12) or (13), and subsequently (2) and (3) combined together, or (1) and (59), according to circumstances. At the same time one of the following applications may be tried externally, with the greatest care that the dog does not lick them off, as they are highly poi sonous when taken into the stomach. To the wash some aloes is added, with the view of preventing this by the bitter taste of the drug, but though it has this good effect partially, there is nothing like a wire or leathern muzzle kept constantly on, except when feeding, at which time of course the tongue is otherwise engaged. All applications must be rubbed well into the roots of the hair. Ointment (or dressing) for virulent mange: Green iodide of mercury, 2 drachms. Lard, 2 ounces. Mix, and rub as much as can be got rid of in this way, into the diseased skin, every other day, for a week; then wait a week, and dress again. Take care to leave no superfluous ointment. A milder ointment: Compound sulphur ointment, 4 oz. Mix, and rub in every other day. Red mange is quite of a different nature to either of the above forms, being evidently a disease of the bulb which produces the hair, inasmuch as the colouring matter of the hair itself is altered and, if white, the hair looks of a pale brickdust colour, almost as if the dog had been sprinkled over with this material. It first shows itself almost invariably at the elbows and inside the arms, then on the front and inside of the thighs, next on the buttocks, and finally on the back, which is only attacked when the disease has existed for some weeks or months. The health does not seem to suffer, and the skin is not at all scabbed, except from the effects |