342 



POL 



POL 



uous ulcer, through ill management 

 or neglect. 



"There is a small sinus under the 

 noil bone, where the matter is apt 

 to lodge, unless care be taken to 

 keep the part firm with a bandage : 

 But instead of that the farriers gen- 

 erally use to thrust in a long teat, 

 which raises the flesh, and opens a 

 way into the sinus. And thus an 

 ulcer is created where there needs 

 be none. All therefore that is fur- 

 ther necessary on this head is, to 

 caution the practitioner against 

 such ill methods. And if the tu- 

 mour has a very large cavity, it is 

 better to lay it open, than to thrust 

 foreign substances into it. And if 

 it acquires an ulcerous disposition, 

 it must be treated as such." Gib- 

 son'^.s Farriery. 



The following is extracted from 

 a valuable work entitled '' The 

 Gentleman's NewPocket Farrier ;" 

 by Richard Mason, M. D. publish- 

 ed in Richmond, Virginia, in 1820. 



" The poll evil, like the fistula, 

 proceeds from some blow, bruise, 

 or external injury, and its conse- 

 quences are much to be dreaded. 

 A horse thus diseased would be 

 well sold almost at any price, though 

 the cure is tolerably certain, yet 

 extremely slow. The poll evil is 

 an abscess or swelling found in the 

 sinews, between the noil bone and 

 the uppermost vertebrsfe of the 

 neck. When this swelling first 

 makes its appearance, bathe it fre- 

 quently with hot vinegar ; and if the 

 hair be fretted off, with an oozing 

 through the skin,make use of equal 

 parts of vinegar and spirits of wine ; 

 but if there bean itching, T-ith heat 

 and inflammation, he safest way 



will be to bleed plentifully and ap- 

 ply a red oak poultice, which will 

 sometimes disperse the swelling, 

 and put an end to the disease. But 

 whenever the tumour is critical, 

 having all the signs of matter, and 

 appears not benefitted by the ap- 

 plications already recommended, it 

 will be advisable to bring it to a 

 head as speedily as possible, with 

 the following poultice ; corn-meal, 

 marsh-mallows, oil turpentine and 

 hog's lard. When the tumour be- 

 comes ripe, or full of matter, it 

 may be either opened or permit- 

 ted to break of itself — if opened 

 with a knife, great care shou'd be 

 used to prevent wounding the ten- 

 dinous ligament that runs along the 

 neck under the mane. When the 

 matter appears to be on both sides, 

 the tumours must be opened on 

 both sides, and the ligament be- 

 tween remain undivided ; if the 

 matter flows in great quantities, re- 

 sembling melted glue, and is of an 

 oily consistence, it will require a 

 second incision, especially if any 

 cavities are discovered by the fin- 

 ger or probe ; these should be 

 opened by the knife, and the wound 

 should be dressed with spirits of 

 turpentine, honey, and tincture of 

 myrrh, until light and thick colour- 

 ed matter is found. Cleanse the 

 sore well with strong soap-suds and 

 a sponge ; then take of verdigris 

 half an ounce, oil of turpentine four 

 ounces, of blue stone two ounces, 

 of green copperas half an ounce ; 

 mix them well together, and hold 

 them over a fire until they are as 

 hot as the horse can bear them ; 

 then pour them into the abscess, 

 and close the lips by one or two 



