26 BREEDING OF 



statistics collected by the New York commissioners the 

 average number of abortions was about 5 per cent, of 

 the whole number of cows that were pregnant. Many 

 years ago it was estimated that the loss in New York 

 State alone was over four million dollars a year. In 

 mares it is not of such frequent occurrence as in cows, 

 but still frequent enough to cause considerable loss. 



Causes. The facts point to the certainty of an in- 

 fection frequently being the cause in cows, as the fol- 

 lowing will show : A German authority reports that 

 all the cows aborted in one stable, while none aborted 

 in another on the same farm. In another case abortion 

 continued after every possible change in the manner of 

 feeding. Other cases are reported where it has existed 

 for a number of years, constantly increasing until fin- 

 ally nearly every pregnant cow aborted. In another 

 stable one cow after another aborted, while none oc- 

 cured in a second stable on the same farm, until a maid 

 who had assisted at an abortion at the first stable re- 

 turned to the second stable and attended the cows 

 there, when abortion set in and continued for a long 

 time. These and other facts point to the absolute cer- 

 tainty of the infectious nature of the malady. 



It is very frequently caused by violence in the mare, 

 and in fact this is a very common cause in all animals. 

 Falls, kicks, excessive labor, great exertion, any of the 

 violent inflammations of the internal organs, irritant 

 medicines, and diarrhea are all causes of this affection. 

 I have known it to follow the casting of a mare for an 

 operation, also from decaying animal matter, as the re- 

 fuse from a slaughter house. A friend of mine, a 

 butcher, informs me that he has often tried to breed 



