298 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



as fistula of the -withers, and requires a sunilar treatment. 

 There is groat difficulty in obtaining a depending opening or 

 drain for the matter in this case, and from the large arteries 

 near the bones of the neck, it cannot always be effected by the 

 knife. Caustic tents, therefore, must be depended upon for 

 that purpose, and if properly applied and persisted in, will 

 generally accomp/lish a cure. The wound, however, must be 

 carefully examined from time to time with a probe, and if a 

 carious bone can be felt, it must be freely scraped, and if a loose 

 bit is found, it must be taken out. When the direction of the 

 sinuses can be ascertained, it will be found sometimes that a 

 drain can be made by means of a seton. But setons should 

 never be put in, as they sometimes are, without it has first been 

 ascertained that a drain can be immediately made by them, 

 and that it cannot be obtained but by laying open the parts 

 freely.* 



Many country farriers have a secret method, or rather some 

 receipt, for the cure of the fistula and the poll-evil, and they 

 certainly sometimes succeed. The preparation they employ aj)- 

 pears to be arsenic mixed with a little lard, which, however 

 carefully employed, produces the most alarming degree of 

 inflammation and sloughing, so much so, that I have no doubt 

 of its sometimes proving fatal. I have lately known an intract- 

 able case of fistula, cured apparently by this application. The 

 fistula was in the lower part of the neck, near the withers, and 

 not in the usual situation of fistula. It appeared as if about 

 the fifth cervical vertebra had been injured. The wound had 

 been healed several times, but always broke out again. At 

 length the case was undertaken by a farrier possessing this 

 secret, who, after making a suitable opening with a hot iron on 

 the opposite side obliquely upwards, introduced his arsenical 

 remedy. The consequence was, a dreadful degree of inflam- 

 mation and sloughing, which greatly alarmed the proprietor. 

 But the wound gradually filled, and after some time perfectly 

 healed. 



[The employment of external pressure by means of splints 

 has been found of great service in the treatment of poll-evil. 

 Mr. A. Gray relates two successful cases of ])oll-evil of long 

 standinij thus treated, in the fifth volume of the Veterinarian: he 

 says, " The mare was sent to me, and I ])roceedcd to examine 

 the extent of the disease. I found two deep sinuses, one on 

 each side of the neck, the bones of which could be distinctly 

 felt with the probe. After cleaning away the matter, I took a 



* Mr. James Clark strongly recommends setons for the cure of tlie poll 

 evil, not only as llic most expeditious and least painful mclliod, but likewise 

 on account of their causin-j; little blemish. 



