153 



connected with the womb, and should the afterbirth de- 

 cay in the womb, the os uteri will remain sufficiently 

 open to admit a man's hand long after delivery. (If all 

 the f(Etal membrane is expelled when the calf is born 

 the OS will close in one to three days.) Whatever parts 

 of the afterbirth i>rotrudes from the vulva is grasped by 

 the free hand and gently pulled while the hand in the 

 womb traces the membrane to its attachments and each 

 attachment is separated by teasing with the ends of the 

 fingers. 



In neglected cases where the afterbirth has decayed, 

 the membrane will be found in a semi-fluid state collected 

 in the deepest cavities of an apparently paralyzed womb. 

 The putrid content is scraped or scooped out with the 

 hand, fingers kept close together and bent half way to 

 palm. 



Fig. 13. — A womb irrigator that may be used by connecting it 

 to a fountain syringe. 



The womb is flushed, with 2 per cent creolin solution, 

 and again scooped out and the process repeated until the 

 womb is clean. Creolin solution may be introduced by 

 means of an ordinary fountain or rubber bulb syringe 

 with a long rubber discharge tube, the free end being 

 carried arm's length into the womb by the hand. 



Prevention. — Keferring now to the disease proper 

 prevention is urged as the only economical course to pur- 

 sue. Enough has already been said to imply that the in- 

 fection once introduced will baffle the most careful effort 

 to effect its destruction. Some of the principle means 

 by which the disease is distributed have been detailed 



4 



