! 58 ANATOMY AND DISEASES OF THE NECK. 



hequent fomentation with warm water, in order to keep the part clean, and to obviate 

 inflammation, poll-evil in its early stage will frequently be cured. 



If the ulcer has deepened and spread, and threatens to eat into the ligaments of the 

 joints of the neck, it may be necessary to stimulate its surface, and perhaps painfully 

 so, ir order to bring it to a healthy state, and dispose it to fill up. In extreme cases, 

 some highly stimulating application may be employed, but nothing resembling the 

 scald ng mixture of the farriers of the olden time. This is abominable ! horrible ! ! 

 All measures, however, will be ineffectual, unless the pus or matter is, by the use of 

 setcns, perfectly evacuated. The application of these setons will require the skill 

 and anatomical knowledge of the veterinary surgeon. In desperate cases, the wound 

 may not be fairly exposed to the action of the caustic without the division of the liga- 

 ment of the neck. This may be effected with perfect safety ; for although the liga- 

 ment is carried on to the occipital bone, and some strength is gained by this prolon- 

 gation of it. the main stress is on the second bone ; and the head will continue to be 

 supported. The divided ligament, also, will soon unite again, and its former useful- 

 ness will be restored w r hen the wound is healed. 



The second bone of the neck is the dentata, having a process like a tooth, by which 

 it forms a joint with the first bone. In the formation of that joint, a portion of the 

 spinal marrow, which runs through a canal in the centre of all these bones, is exposed 

 or covered only by ligament ; and by the division of the marrow at this spot an animal 

 is instantly and humanely destroyed. The operation is called pithing, from the name 

 (the pith} giiren by butchers to the spinal marrow. 



The other neck, or rack bones, as they are denominated by the farrier, (B. p. 68,) 

 are of a strangely irregular shape, yet bearing considerable resemblance to each other. 

 They consist of a central bone, perforated for the passage of the spinal marrow with 

 a ridge on the top for the attachment of the ligament of the neck, and four irregular 

 plates or processes from the sides, for the attachment of muscles ; at the base of one 

 of which, on either side, are holes for the passage of the large arteries and veins. At 

 the upper end of each, is a round head or ball, and at the lower end, a cavity or cup, 

 and the head of the one being received into the cup of the other, they are unittd 

 together, forming so many joints. They are likewise united by ligaments from these 

 processes, as well as the proper ligaments of the joints, and so securely, that no dis- 

 location can take place between any of them, except the first and second, the conse- 

 quence of which would be the immediate death of the animal. 



The last, or seventh bone, has the elevation on the back or top of it continued into 

 a long and sharp prolongation (a spinous process}, and is the beginning of that ridge 

 of bones denominated the withers (see cut, pp. 68 and 167) ; and as it is the base of 

 the column of neck bones, and there must be a great pressure on it from the weight 

 of the head and neck, it is curiously contrived to rest upon and unite with the two 

 first ribs. 



THE MUSCLES AND PROPER FORM OF THE NECK. 



The bones of the neck serve as the frame-work to which numerous muscles con 

 cerned in the motions of the head and neck are attached. The weight of the head 

 and neck is supported by the ligament without muscular aid, and without fatigue to 

 the animal ; but in order to raise the head higher, or to lower it, or to turn it in every 

 direction, a complicated system of muscles is necessary. Those whose office it is to 

 raise the head are most numerous and powerful, and are placed on the npper and side 

 part of the neck. The cut in p. 125 contains a few of them. 



c marks a tendon common to two of the most important of them, the splenius, or 

 gplint-like muscle, and the complexus major, or larger complicated muscle. The 

 tplenius constitutes the principal bulk of the neck above, arising from the ligament of 

 lhi> neck all the way down it, and going to the processes of all the bones of the neck, 

 but the first, and tendons running from the upper part of it, to the first bone o/ tha 

 neck, and to a process of the temporal bone of the head. Its action is sufficiently 

 evident, namely, very powerfully to elevate the head and neck. The principal beautj 

 of the neck depends on this muscle. It was admirably developed in the hoise of 

 whose n?ck the annexed cut gives an accurate delineation. 



Tl the curve were quite resru" ?r from the poll to the withers, we should call it a 



