THE POLL-EVIL. 153 



part with the haUer; or from the frequent and painful" stretching of the 

 ligaments and muscles, by unnecessary tight reining, and occasionally, 

 we fear, from a violent blow on the poll, carelessly or wantonly inflicted, 

 inflammation comes on, and a swelling appears, hot, tender, and painful. 

 We have just stated, that the ligament of the neck passes over the atlas, or 

 first bone, without being attached to it, and the seat of inflammation is be- 

 tween the ligament, and the bone beneath ; and being thus deeply situated, 

 it is serious in its nature and difficult of treatment. 



The first thing to be attempted is to abate the inflammation by bleeding, 

 physic, and the application of cold lotions to the part. By these means 

 the tumour will sometimes be dispersed. This system, however, must not 

 be pursued too far. If the swelling increases, and the heat and tender- 

 ness likewise increase, matter will form in the tumour ; andthen our object 

 still be to hasten its formation by warm fomentations, poultices, or 

 wimulating embrocations. As soon as matter is formed, which may 

 be known by the softness of the tumour, and before it has time to spread 

 around and eat into the neighbouring parts, it should be evacuated : and 

 now comes the whole art of treating poll-evil; the opening into the tumour 

 must he so contrived that all the matter shall run out, and continue after- 

 wards to run out as it is formed, and not collect at the bottom of the ulcer, 

 irritating and corroding it. This can be effected by a seton alone. The 

 needle should enter at the top of the tumour, penetrate through its bottom, 

 and be brought out at the side of the neck, a little below the abscess. Without 

 any thing more than this, except frequent fomentation with warm water, to 

 keep the part clean, and to obviate inflammation, poll-evil, in its early stage, 

 will frequently be cured. If the ulcer has deepened and spread, and threatens 

 to eat into the ligaments of the joints of the neck, it may be necessary to 

 stimulate its surface, and perhaps painfully so, in order to bring it to a 

 healthy state, and dispose it to fill up ; and, in extreme cases, even the scald- 

 ing mixture of the farrier may be called into requisition. This, however, 

 will be ineffectual, except the pus or matter is enabled, by the use of setons, 

 perfectly to run out of the wound ; and the application of these setons will 

 require the skill and anatomical knowledge of the veterinary surgeon. In 

 very desperate cases, the wound may not be fairly exposed to the action of 

 our caustic applications, without the division of the ligament of the neck, 

 by which we have described the head as being almost entirely supported. 

 This, however, may be done with perfect safety, for although the ligament 

 is carried on to the occipital bone, and some strength is gained by this 

 prolongation of it, the main stress is on the second bone ; and the head 

 will continue to be" supported, although the ligament should be divided 

 between the second bone and the head. The divided ligament will soon 

 unite again, and its former usefulness will be restored when the wound is 

 healed. 



The second bone of the neck is the dentata, having a process like a 

 tooth, by which it forms a joint with the first bone. In the formation of 

 that joint, a portion of the spinal marrow, which runs through a canal in 

 the centre of all these bones, is exposed, or covered only by hgament ; and 

 by the division of the marrow at this spot, an animal is instantly and hu- 

 manely destroyed. The operation is called pi^/izwg-, from the name {the pith} 

 given by butchers to the spinal morrow. 



The other neck, or rack bones, as they are denominated by the farrier, 

 B, p. 63, are of a strangely irregular shape, yet bearing considerable resem- 

 blance to each other. They consist of a central bone, perforated for the pas- 

 sage of the spinal marrow, with a ridge on the top, for the attachment of the 



