BODY OF THE HOUSE, ITS EXTERNAL ACCIDENTS AND DISEASES. 381 



How to know It. — A constant discharge is seen to come from the 

 swelling around the withers and run down over the shoulder. The pipes 

 conveying the pus are white, with thick w^alls, and very tough. The pu&i 

 is ordinary healthy pus, unless the bones of the spine are affected, which 

 is often the case, and then the pus will have the strong offensive odor 

 characteristic of caried bone. 



What to do. — The knife must be used freely, but cautiously, and it 

 is urged, as in all similar cases, to employ a qualified veterinary surgeon 

 if possible. But if it is impossible to procure one, make the best of a 

 bad case and open the sinuses right up from top to bottom. If there 

 is a large hollow space on the tops of the bones under the skin, open the 

 skin right up from end to end, letting the cut run lengthwise the horse. 

 If the ends of the bones are exposed and caried, rough, diseased, and 

 smelling badly, the diseased portions must be removed either with bone 

 forceps or a fine saw, and dressed twice a day with lotion No. 28. 

 Dress the pipes with lotion No. 1, twice a day for a week, then change 

 to No. 5, alternating them. If the bones of the withers are exposed, but 

 not caried, use loti(m No. 5 on them and alternate it with No. 7 ; use one 

 a week, then the other. 



XVI. Poll-evil. 



This is a fistulous sore affecting the bones of the neck near the top of 

 the head or poll. 



Causes. — It starts with a bruise from striking the top of the head 

 against a low ceiling, doorway or roof of 

 a car when being shipped, rearing and 

 falling backwards, etc. Suppuration sets 

 in ; the pus breaks out on the top, like 

 any other abscess, bu.t burro\\s down into 

 the bones at the same time, dift'ering in 

 this respect from ordinary ahscesses, so 

 that, within a few days after l)ursting on 

 top, it has burrowed down so as to reach 

 the bones or the joint between them. In 

 old, long-standing cases the disease some- J'*^' '-"^vil ddking the first 

 times causes the Ugamentum nuchoe to 



become so rotted and eaten away by the suppurating process as to break, 

 letting the head drop. The animal in this case is rendered useless. 



How to Know it. — There is always more or less tumefaction and flow 

 of pus, which runs down the sides of the neck. The pus has a strong, 

 disagreeable odor coming from the tendinous muscle, and, when coming 

 from the bone, it will have the characteristic odor of caries. 



