Contagious Abortion. 385 



1 st. The protection of a sound herd against the infection : and 

 2nd. The extinction of infection in a herd already diseased. 



Protection of a sound herd. This requires the greatest possible 

 care, because the infected animal usually presents the general 

 appearance of perfect health, and there is no ready means of 

 testing the presence or absence of the abortion bacillus. In pur- 

 chasing a cow or mare in a public market the new owner ma} 7 

 find her affected with this bacillus, and a serious danger to his 

 whole herd. To protect the latter he must learn that the herd 

 from which she came has had no abortions for several years 

 before, and that the offspring for the different years are present 

 in numbers corresponding to the dams. In the absence of this a 

 certificate, and guarantee against infection of other animals by the 

 one purchased, may well be demanded of the seller. A certificate 

 from the veterinarian attending the herd furnishing the animal, 

 may also be sought as evidence of the absence of abortion from 

 the locality. Imported animals should be safeguarded in the 

 same way but with even greater care, lest the microbian sources 

 of new types of abortion, should be brought into the country. A 

 guarantee of this kind might well be demanded by the Federal 

 Government in the case of all breeding animals imported. 



In case of failure to secure the most perfect guarantee with the 

 purchased animal it would be worth the purchaser's while to 

 seclude it from his valuable herd, and not to breed it with the 

 other animals of his herd until it has been proved to be entirely 

 free from infection. If bought for a sire it should be subjected 

 to a course of disinfection of the sheath and penis : if for a dam 

 and unimpregnated, antiseptic irrigation of the vagina may be 

 made daily for a week, and the external parts, hips and tail daily 

 washed with antiseptics. If very important to have her bred, 

 secure, if possible, a male that is not to be used on other animals. 

 If this is impracticable, let the sheath and penis, and surrounding 

 skin be thoroughly disinfected as soon as the service has been had. 



If the newly acquired female is pregnant, keep her by herself 

 until parturition and, even if this takes place at full term, irrigate 

 the womb daily for a week with a disinfectant, delay having her 

 served for a month, and if she must go to the sire of the herd, 

 subject him to thorough disinfection after service. It may be 

 that she still carries the germ but has become tolerant of it. 

 25 



