342 
C. M. DAY. 
the habitual severity with which it is characterized. Thus there 
may be a pre-disposition to disease of the poll and withers by a 
defective anatomical conformation of the regions. 
The Poll and withers are portions of the animal which are 
considered by a great many to be a location most exposed to 
injury, and for this reason alone we are prone to believe in the 
old theory of traumatism as the cause of Poll-evil and fistula. 
We find it quite plausible, and believe that injury to the 
parts is the factor in the location of the disease in a great many 
cases. 
The history of a great many cases shows that the parts have 
been injured at some previous time, after which the owner or 
groom of the animal noticed the development of an abscess. 
But how shall we account for the large number of cases of 
which we have no history nor evidence of previous injury ? 
On looking over the entire anatomy of the animal, we find 
other regions equally exposed to injury, the hip or external 
angle of the ilium, for instance, is more especially liable to 
injury, the animal frequently striking it against the barn-door 
in passing out and in the barn, or against the partition when 
confined in a narrow stall, especially when lying down; neither 
can the animal roll without bringing the parts violently in con¬ 
tact with the ground; but it is seldom, indeed, if ever we see 
a fistula on that region. The backhand of the harness, which 
has been so invariably blamed for chafing and irritating the 
withers sufficiently to cause disease, sits day after day on mus¬ 
cles of the back without causing injury; the top of the neck 
and shoulders are pressed upon and irritated daily, maybe, with 
some ill-fitting collar or neck-gear, yet we seldom, if ever, see 
a fistula occurring on those parts. The animal may be bruised 
severely in many ways on various parts of the body, yet we 
seldom see fistulous tracts arising from the injury. 
Why is it, then, we so frequently see this serious condition 
occurring on the poll and withers ? Can we believe it always to 
be due to an injury when other parts of the animal daily receive 
equally as severe injuries without producing these results ? Or' 
