IX] 



SURGICAL DISEASES AND CONFORMATION 



113 



and perfectly drained, and in keeping the joint 

 perfectly stationary by means of splints or plaster 

 of paris cast, with an opening for treating the 

 wound. The wound must be covered between 

 each dressing with antiseptic wadding and sheet- 

 ing. The horse must be put into slings, as a 

 rule. When a wound is quite clean tincture of 

 iodine is a very good application ; collodion is 

 good to arrest bleeding. 



The application of a good blister around the 

 part is recommended, as it hastens the healing 

 of the wound. A cradle should be put on the 

 horse's neck, to prevent him from biting at the 

 wound. In most cases when the bottom sac of 

 the knee-joint is open, the horse is better de- 

 stroyed ; similarly with the upper of the four sacs 

 in the hock. 



452. Galls have been dealt with in Chapter 

 VII., Sec. 323. 



Poll Evil. — Is an injury to the poll, which is 

 the part on the top of the head between the ears. 

 Generally commences in inflammation of the 

 bursa that lies between the first cervical vertebra 

 (atlas) and the ligamentum nuchae (which holds 

 the head up). 



Cause.— A blow from a stick or from a low 

 ceiling, as on board ship, or doorway. The 

 overhead check rein often causes this. (See 

 Chapter XIX.) 



Symptoms. — Swelling, heat, pain in region ; 

 if bad, horse carries his head stiffly, and may 

 object to being groomed over the head or to being 

 bridled. 



Treatment. — Remove cause. Apply anti- 

 phlogistine or other similar agent to bring 

 abscess to a head. Then open abscess and treat. 

 If bad, it will be necessary to obtain drainage 

 from the bottom, in which case a general anaes- 

 thetic must be given. In mild cases, if dis- 

 covered early, massage and liniments may cause 

 effusion to be absorbed without any abscess form- 

 ing. The horse must be given diet and fed from 

 a manger, and not from the ground, nor should 

 he be turned out to pasture, because it is neces- 

 sary to keep his head up to prevent too much 

 blood flowing to that part. In bad cases the 

 yellow elastic ligamentum nuchae becomes seri- 

 ously involved, and an operation under chloro- 

 form has to be performed ; a portion of the 

 ligament is securely attached at the upper end 

 to the occipital bone of the head and to the second 

 cervical vertebra (axis, or dentata), and if it is 

 severed above the attachment to the axis the 

 horse can still keep his head up almost naturally, 

 but if it is severed between the axis and the 

 withers the horse will be unable to hold its head 

 up except with the upper muscles of the neck, 

 which will soon become tired, and the horse will 

 endeavour to rest its head on any support. Such 

 a horse must be destroyed. 



453. Fistulous Withers, or Sinus of the 

 Withers. — Caused by saddle pressure on the top 



p 



of the withers, pinching at the sides, or collar 

 injuries. 



The injury is similar to poll evil and is chiefly 

 in the yellow elastic fibres at the top of the 

 withers, where the yellow ligamentum nuchae 

 fibres are interwoven with the white inelastic 

 supraspinous ligament that continues back to the 

 tip of the tail. 



The symptoms and treatment are similar to 

 those of poll evil. Great care must be taken to 

 get proper drainage, otherwise the pus will 

 burrow down in between the shoulder-blade and 

 the muscles and may find an exit at the bottom 

 of the chest. Great care must be taken from the 

 first to bring any abscess to a head. This must 

 be opened as soon as possible and kept properly 

 drained and aseptic. 



454. Burns. — If the burn is slight and the 

 skin is only reddened the best application is a 

 saturated solution of picric acid. Another good 

 application is carron oil (equal parts of linseed 

 oil and lime-water). If the skin is injured right 

 through, apply zinc oxide ointment. If this can- 

 not be obtained, dust on boracic acid. If nothing 

 else can be obtained, any form of grease must be 

 put on to keep the air away; an antiseptic should 

 be added to the grease, as burnt skin readily 

 admits germs. Baking soda (sod. bicarb.) dusted 

 on will do good. The system suffers from shock 

 if the pain is at all bad, in which case strychnine 

 sulphate should be given hypodermically in the 

 neck, ^ to 1 gr. If this cannot be obtained give 

 4 to 6 oz. whisky. Do not give methylated 

 spirits. If pain is bad, give ^ to 1 oz. chloral 

 hydrate in a drench of at least 1 pint of water (a 

 stronger solution will burn the mouth). Put 

 horse on diet. 



455. Frost Bites. — Not uncommon in winter 

 in Canada. Horses exposed much to cold winters 

 may have their ears frost bitten at the tips. Tails 

 that have been plaited up tightly with the hair 

 drawn away from the tip of the dock may be- 

 come frost bitten at the end, therefore it is never 

 advisable to plait a tail up in the coldest of 

 weather, unless plenty of hair is left around the 

 end of the dock. 



Usually a frost bite in a horse is discovered 

 after the part has become dead, and in this case 

 any wound that may be a frost bite must be 

 treated antiseptically. If the part is found to be 

 cold and apparently feelingless, the circulation, 

 which has been arrested, must not be allowed to 

 return suddenly by applying friction or warm 

 fomentation, as this will cause inflammation and 

 pain. Cold water, or better, snow, must be 

 rubbed against the part for fifteen minutes or 

 so, until the circulation returns. Horses' feet 

 sometimes become frozen, which may result in 

 thrush, due to walking on a mixture of salt and 

 snow, the salt being put down to prevent street 

 rails becoming clogged with ice. 



456. Snake Bites and Stings.— U a bite is from 



