OLCEES.] 



THE HORSE, AND 



[poll-evil. 



ised, considerably retards the bursting of 

 abscesses, so that when ulceration is spreading, 

 the edges of the skin hang over the ulcerated 

 part. 



"When the disease takes place, in conse- 

 quence of the death of an external part, it 

 occurs first on the outer edge, between the 

 dead and living substance. 



Abscesses constantly make their way to the 

 surface of the body by ulceration. 



The parts which are situated between an 

 abscess, or any extraneous substance, and the 

 nearest surface, are those which are most sus- 

 ceptible of the disease. This is one of the 

 most curious phenomena connected with the 

 process under consideration. It shows that 

 there is a principle in the system, by which 

 parts are always prone to free themselves from 

 painful or disagreeable affections. Slight pres- 

 sure from without will even produce a thicken- 

 ing of parts, such as pressure from the saddle, 

 the harness, &c. ; but, though this may occur, 

 still there appears to be a corresponding back- 

 wardness to admit disease. 



There is one difference between the advance- 

 ment of an encysted tumour, to the surface of 

 the body, and the progress of an abscess in 

 the same direction, viz., that the former does 

 not excite ulceration of the cyst, but an in- 

 terstitial absorption of the sound parts, be- 

 tween the cyst and the skin, till the cyst and 

 the external skin come into contact. When 

 this has occurred, inflammation takes place, 

 and absorption becomes accelerated into 

 ulceration. In an abscess, the progressive 

 ulceration begins in the cyst, at the same time 

 that the interstitial absorption, in the second 

 part covering the matter, is going on. The 

 action of progressive absorption is to remove 

 surfaces contiguous to irritating causes, as in 

 the case of tumours, pressure becomes a cause. 



That pressure is a frequent cause of ulcera- 

 tion, is daily proved by the efiects of harness 

 and other parts of the furniture of horses. 



That irritating substances produce ulcera- 

 tion, needs no illustration. 



Progressive absorption may occur, either 

 with or without suppuration. We have in- 

 stances of the latter, in cases of extraneous 

 bodies which travel about the system without 

 producing irritation enough to give rise to 

 the secretion of pus. 

 218 



Absorption, with suppuration, in other words 

 ulceration, either happens in consequence of 

 suppuration already begun, in which event the 

 pus acts as a pressure, or when absorption 

 attacks external surfaces from particular irri- 

 tations or weakness, in which suppuration 

 must follow. 



The principal ulcerations to which the 

 horse is most liable are poll-evil, fistulous 

 withers, ulcers of the mouth, and strangles. 



POLL-EVIL. 



This, of all ulcers, in the horse, is the most 

 troublesome to deal with ; for, though the 

 veterinary surgeon may complete a cure, the 

 time and.expense incurred, neither remunerate 

 him for his applications and trouble, nor do they 

 gain him any credit as a professional man. In 

 this disease, the old farriers went violently to 

 work with all the scalding materials the drug- 

 gist's shop could supply ; but the milder system 

 adopted by the modern veterinary practitioner, 

 has, in a great measure, done away with their 

 unskilful and unsnrgical modes of treatment. 

 Still it happens, unfortunately, that this 

 disease is not generally brought under the 

 notice of the veterinarian until the village far- 

 rier has expended all his recipes and knowledge ; 

 and after all this it is more than ten-to-one, if he 

 has really discovered the part that is aflected. 

 We will therefore endeavour to point out the 

 nature and real situation of poll-evil. 



Foil-evil is an unhealthy inflammation, 

 which takes place at the back of the ears from 

 blows or bruises, or other injuries which the 

 horse may have sustaind on that part. It is 

 frequently found in farm or cart-horses, which 

 are sometimes cursed with evil-disposed carters 

 who, in a passion, will strike them about the 

 head with the butt-end of their whips, or 

 whatever they may chance to have in their 

 hand. We have seen a horse knocked down 

 senseless, with comparatively a slight blow at 

 the back of the ear. Now, there is a mucous 

 capsule at the conjunction of the head with 

 the first bone of the neck, over which passes 

 the ligamentum colli, or as the farriers term it, 

 the pax-fax of the neck. These parts, from 

 blows or other injuries, contract inflammation, 

 and hence an ill-conditioned ulcer is formed ; 

 and from its situation being near the head or 

 knowl, it is called poll-evil. Chestnut horses are 



