110 FISTULA AND POLL-EVIL 
may be caused by wadding the cavity too tight. 
The other place through which the spinal 
cord becomes exposed is at the occipito-atlant- 
oid articulation. Here it is attacked by en- 
croaching disease after the capsule of the joint 
has been invaded. 
’ The ligamentum nuche is a powerful, elas- 
tic apparatus, the principal function of which 
is to assist the extensor muscles of the head and 
neck. It extends from the occipital bone to 
the withers, where it is directly continuous with 
the supraspinous ligament. It consists of two 
parts, funicular and lamellar. 
The funicular part arises from the external 
occipital protuberance and the fossa below it 
and is inserted into the summits of the verte- 
bral spines at the withers.—Sisson. 
It is between the funicular portion of this 
ligament and the dorsal arch of the atlas that 
the bursa (supra-atloid) lies. At the pole the 
funicular part consists of two bands closely at- 
tached to each other. The lamellar portion of 
the ligamentum nuche is not attached to the 
atlas, but begins at the axis to which a very 
thick and strong digitation is attached. 
Obliquus Capitis Anterior. This is a short, 
flat and nearly square muscle, having tendin- 
ous intersections. It originates from the an- 
terior edge and ventral surface of the wing of 
