K.
VENKATACHALAM
AND
OTHERS
245
the drying and healing stages of the lesions, dead
ones at the later stages of the healing process and
none at the end of the treatment. These indicate
that sea-water has so altered the tissue conditions
as to make the soil unsuitable for the parasites to
live in. About 30 cases in the different stages of
the disease were treated both in this laboratory and
outside. Two small dogs, two emaciated ones and
one with nephritis succumbed and all the rest were
found cured after 20 to 30 injections. Their gene-
ral condition also improved, and the disease never
recurred in any of them. The improvement in the
general condition began to manifest generally a
week or ten days after the cessation of treatment.
This remedy was then tried on microscopically
positive cases of follicular mange in some of the
local institutions. The results of such trials in-
variably tallied with our observations. The reports
received from those quarters indicate that the
disease never recurred in any of the cases treated,
except in one case which was a long standing one
and which required three courses of 20 injections
with an interval of ten days between each course,
that in early cases only one course was found suffi-
cient though some required two courses and in
certain long standing cases even three courses were
necessary, and that no ill effects were noticed but
on the other hand a definite improvement in the
general condition of the patients was seen.
Photos of a typical case of the pustular form
of follicular mange with numerous bald patches
and abscess formations almost all over the body
giving rise to offensive sanguino-purulent discharge
and with numerous ulcers and necrotic foci, taken
both before and after treatment are shown in Plate
XVIII. It weighed nearly 10 kg. As a precautionary
measure it was given only 3 c.c. to start with by the
intravenous route and later on intra-peritoneally
as well as subcutaneously on account of the small-
ness of its size and its debilitated condition.
The treatment was continued for nearly three
months and a half. It became perfectly all right
after prolonged treatment with this remedy.
It improved very well in condition. There
was no sign of any recurrence of the disease
even after the lapse of a pretty long period after
it was discharged cured.
A Hallikar bull suffering from ringworm with
sores all over the body was also treated. The bull
had two courses of injections intravenously with a
dose of 40 c.c. and 60 c.c. respectively. It was
under treatment for about four months and was
completely cured. No other treatment was
adopted in this case.
CONCLUSION
The results of the trials made so far with sterile
sea-water on cases of Sarcoptic and follicular
mange have been very encouraging. The report
about the successful treatment of a ringworm in a
bull suggests the possibility of its usefulness in the
treatment of this malady also. Its efficacy in the
treatment of other varieties of mange as Psoropticy
Chorioptic, etc. and in different species of animal
are worth trying. It is left to the clinicians to try
it extensively in different forms of skin affections
and in different species of animals and study its
effects ; but in computing the dose for various
kinds of animals, care must be taken to assess the
individual requirements, taking into consideration
the general condition of the patient, its size, age
and weight. Usually one course of 20 daily in-
jections intraperitoneally may be enough for dogs
Occasionally two or even three courses may be re-
quired depending upon the severity of the disease
If more than one course is found necessary, an
interval of ten days may be allowed between two
courses. Attempts are being made to minimize the
period of treatment with a view to obviating the
tediousness that is likely to be caused to owners of
patients by the present lengthy course of treat-
ment. The sea water for these trials was procured
from the sea beyond 100 yards from the coast with
the help of fishermen.
The fact that favourable results were obtained
so far by the use of this remedy through a paren-
eral administration and not through a local appli-
cation clearly shows that the cure brought about
by sea-water has been effected by improving the
general health and condition of the host and there
by altering the weakened state of the tissues in
such a way as to make the soil unsuitable for the
parasites to live in. It would thus appear that an
invasion by Demodex parasite is likely to take
place only when the soil is made suitable for its
growth and multiplication by a deterioration in the
general health and condition of the host or a weak-
ened condition of the skin. The observation that
artificial infection of healthy animals has not al-
ways been successful substantiates this view.
Further, the statement that spontaneous recovery
may occur sometimes also supports the above fact,
since such a recovery may be attributable to an
improvement in the general health of the animals
consequent on favourable changes in their living
conditions. The results of our treatment thus
lend support to the view held by Monnig that
'the condition of the host is a strong factor in
determining its susceptibility to an infection by
Demodex'.
The conditions that favour an invasion by these
parasites, and the physiological changes which sea-
water induces so as to make the soil unsuitable for