TirE HORSE. 89 



or first bone, "svithont being attached to it, and the seat of inflammation 

 is between the ligament and the bone beneath ; and being thus deeply- 

 situated, it is serious in its nature and difficult of treatment. 



The first thing to be attempted is to abate the inflammation by bleed- 

 ing, physic, and the application of cold lotions to the part. In a very 

 early period of the case a blister might have considerable eflfect. Strong 

 purgatives should also be employed. By these means the tumor will 

 sometimes be dispersed. This system, however, must not be porsiied 

 too far. If the swelling increases, and the heat and tenderness likewise 

 increase, matter will form in the tumor; and then our object should be 

 to hasten its formation by warm fomentations, poultices, or vStimulating 

 embrocations. As soon as the matter is formed, which may be known 

 by the softness of the tumor, and before it has time to spread around 

 and eat into the neighboring parts, it should be evacuated. Now comes 

 the whole art of treating poll-evil ; the opening into the tumor must he 

 so contrived that all the matter shall run out^ and continue afterward to 

 run out as quickly as it is formed, and not collect at the bottom of the 

 ulcer, irritating and corroding it. This can be effected by a sett)n alone. 

 The needle should enter at the top of the tumor, penetrate through its 

 bottom, and be brought out at the side of the neck, a little below the 

 abscess. Without any thing more than this, except frequent fomenta- 

 tion with warm water, in order to keep the part clean, and to obviate in- 

 flammation, 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, in order to bring it to a healthy state, 

 and dispose it to fill up. In extreme cases, some highly stimulating ap- 

 plication may be employed. All measures, however, will be ineffectual 

 unless the pus or matter is, by the use of setons, perfectly evacuated. 

 The application of these setons will require the skill and anatomical 

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

 cannot be fairly exposed to the action of the caustic without the divi- 

 sion of the ligament of the neck. This may be effected with perfect 

 safety ; for, although the ligament is carried on to the occipital bone, 

 and some strength is gained by this prolongation of it, the main stress 

 is on the second bone ; and the head will continue to be supported. 

 'J he divided ligament, also, will soon unite again, and its former useful- 

 ness w^ill be restored when the w^ound is healed.* 



* All cooling applications to the poll-evil are useless, for when once the swelling 

 w^hich constitutes the disease has appeared, we have never known it dispersed, but 

 sooner or later it suppurates. It often takes many months before the matter reaches 

 the surface ; but the more complete the suppuration is, tlie easier it is to efi'ect a 

 cure. The injury, which generally arises from striking the poll against a low door- 

 way, is deep-seated, and the surface of the bone is often diseased from tlie begin- 

 ning. 



It must be confessed that the poll-evil is very difficult to cnre, a difficulty arising 

 not from the character of the injury, but rather from its situation, and the nature of 

 the surrounding parts. When matter forms in any situation, it has a tendency to 

 pass downward, and to seek an exit where tlie least obstacles are offered to its 

 passage. It consequently forms passages or sinuses (pipes) amongst the muscles, 

 and when these are filled the matter points to the surface. This tendency con- 



