10 Journal of the Department of Agrioulturk. 



are killed two months aftei^ inoculation. From this enlarged spleen 

 the abortion bacillus can be obtained in pure culture in most cases. 

 From tlie experiments so' far carried out, it Avould seem that the 

 resistance of tl\e abortion organism to heat and drying is much greater 

 than was formerly thought, therefore the necessity for the proper 

 disposal of infected material is emphasized. 



The diagnosis of contagious abortion clinically is not always easy, 

 as it has to be differentiated from abortion due to other causes. When 

 several abortions occur in a herd at or near the same time, and the 

 cows have retained afterbirths, the diagnosis is rarely in doubt, but 

 should this not be the case, the first abortion may not be taken much 

 notice of. particularly if no others occur shortly afterwards. The 

 diagnosis by means of the agglutination test, which can only be 

 carried out in a bacteriological laboratory, is a very practical and 

 useful method, but necessitates the taking of a sample of blood from 

 the suspected animal. This test of the blood, or rather the serum of 

 the blood, will show whether the animal is infected, but an abortion 

 cannot be predicted, for, as has been previously stated, all infected 

 cows do not abort. Abortions due to injuries are probably not as 

 frequent as was formerly thought, but in South Africa, redwater and 

 other diseases, which caiise liigh temperatures in the affected animals, 

 often produce abortion, though larely with retention of the afterbirtli. 

 A few cases have lately been reported from the ITnited States of 

 America of cases due to another organism, the so-called " vibrio of 

 abortion," but as yet it is not known whether tliis organism occurs 

 in South Africa or not. Some years ago a substance called " Abortin " 

 was made from a culture of abortion bacilli and used to diagnose the 

 disease by observing whether any reaction took place in the suspected 

 animal after subcutaneous inoculation of the material, as occurs in 

 tub,erculosis and glanders with tuberculin and mallein respectively. 

 " Abortin " was found to be quite unreliable as a diagnostic agent, so 

 quickly fell into disuse. 



As regards treatment of a case of abortion to prevent further 

 spread, it is essential to isolate the cow at once in a stable or kraal 

 to which no other cattle have access. If the abortion has occurred 

 in a stall near to another cow, as in a cow byre, very thorough disin- 

 fection is necessary. All the bedding should be burnt, and the 

 whole byre thoroughly scrubbed out with a strong disinfectant 

 solution such as any of the coal-tar disinfeciants. This disin- 

 fection should b<^ done \ ery thoroughly, and if the foetus is found 

 it should be burnt. The cow, when isolated, should have her hind- 

 quaiters scrublTcd every day for a week with disinfectant, and the 

 afterbirth, if retainevl. must be removecl. It is difficult and 

 unnecessary to remove a retained afterbirth before the forty-eighth 

 hour after calving or abortion, but it should not be allowed to remain 

 more than three days. The womb should be washed out every day 

 with two or three gallons of normal salt solution, 1 part common 

 salt to 100 parts of water, or 2 tablespoonfuls to a gallon. Disin- 

 fectants are to be avoided for washing out the womb, as they cause 

 stiaining' and do not haA-e any marked beneficial effect. The best 

 method of washing out the womb is to get a piece of thin hose-pipe 

 about 4 or 5 feet long, and in one end to fix a tin or glass funnel. 

 If the flee end of the pipe is put through the mouth of the womb and 

 the salt solution poured into the funnel held about two feet higher 



