is observed most often
toward the spring of the year. Animals that are continually housed, and the
skins of which receive no cleaning, generally present a coat filled with
fine scales, composed of epithelium from the epidermis and dried sebaceous
matter. This, however, is a physiological condition and compatible with
perfect health.

_Symptoms._--Pityriasis may affect the greater portion of the body, though
usually only certain parts are affected--the ears, neck, rump, etc. The
skin becomes scurfy, the hairy coat filled with branlike gray or whitish
scales.

_Treatment._--Nutritious feed, such as oil-cake meal, bran, ground oats,
and clean hay. In the spring the disease generally disappears after the
animal is turned out to pasture. When lice are present they should be
destroyed.

ELEPHANTIASIS (SCLERODERMA).

This condition consists in a chronic thickening of the skin, which may
affect one or more limbs or involve the whole integument. It is
characterized by recurrent attacks of swelling of the skin and subcutaneous
areolar tissue. After each attack the affected parts remain infiltrated to
a larger extent than before, until finally the skin may attain a thickness
of an inch, becoming wrinkled and fissured. In cattle this disease is
confined to hot climates. The predisposing cause is unknown.

EDEMA (ANASARCA OF THE SKIN).

This is a dropsical condition of the skin and subcutaneous areolar tissue,
characterized by pitting under pressure, the fingers leaving a dent which
remains a short time.

_Causes._--Edema generally results from a weakened state of the system
arising from previous disease. It may also be dependent upon a functional
derangement of the kidneys, upon weak circulation, or obstruction to the
flow of blood through the lungs. In debilitated animals and in some animals
highly infested with parasites there is swelling of the dewlap or of the
fold of the skin between the jaws.

_Symptoms._--Painless swelling of a limb, udder, lower surface of abdomen,
or lower jaw becomes apparent. This may increase in dimensions for several
days or may attain its maximum in less than 24 hours. Unless complicated
with some acute disease of a specific character, there is not much, if any,
constitutional disturbance. The deep layer of the skin is infiltrated with
serum, which gives it the characteristic condition of pitting under
pressure.

_Treatment._--When the cause can be ascertained and removed we may expect