116 PRINCIPLES OF STOCK-BREEDING. 



congestion and inflammation that interfere with the 

 activity of the function. 



In quite a number of cases of barrenness, in highly- 

 fed and plethoric animals, that have come under my 

 observation, the defect was clearly attributable to an 

 extreme irritability of the organs of generation, result- 

 ing from congestion or local inflammation. 



In some of these cases congestion of the mucous 

 membrane of the vagina and mouth of the uterus was 

 the only abnormal peculiarity that could be detected, 

 while in others there was congestion of the ovaries, or 

 deposits of tuberculous matter involving a large pro- 

 portion of their tissues. 



In this connection, we should not overlook the fact 

 that the highly-artificial conditions to which animals 

 are subjected, to secure the development of special 

 characters, render the system exceedingly sensitive to 

 the influence of the acknowledged causes of the scrofu- 

 lous habit. 



Even when the unsymmetrical development of the 

 organization does not proceed far enough to produce 

 an unhealthy condition of any of the reproductive 

 organs, it may constitute a predisposing tendency to 

 disease that is liable to be made active by slight ex- 

 citing causes. 



A long series of derangements of the organs of 

 generation, of every grade of intensity, may thus arise, 

 directly or indirectly, through the influence of the de- 

 fective equilibrium of the system, produced by pam- 

 pering and over-feeding. 



If the procreative functions are impaired by a 

 plethoric condition of the system, without complica- 



