328 HORSE, SWINE AND POULTRY DISEASES 



causes. Traveling on heavy, muddy roads, slips and falls on ice, 

 and jumping must be added. The stimulation of the abdominal 

 organs by a full drink of iced water may precipitate a miscarriage, 

 as may exposure to a cold rainstorm or a very cold night after a 

 warm day. Irritant poisons that act on the urinary or generative 

 organs, such as Spanish flies, the smut of maize and other grain, 

 and musty fodder are additional causes. Frosted food, indigestible 

 food, and, above all, green succulent vegetables in a frozen state, 

 have proved effective factors, and filthy, stagnant water is danger- 

 ous. Low condition in the dam and plethora have in opposite ways 

 caused abortion, and hot, relaxing stables and lack of exercise 

 strongly conduce to it. The exhaustion of the sire by too frequent 

 service, entailing debility of the offspring and disease of the fetus 

 or of its envelopes, must be recognized as a further cause. 



The symptoms vary mainly according as the abortion is early 

 or late in pregnancy. In the first month or two of pregnancy the 

 mare may miscarry without observable symptoms, and the fact only 

 appears by her coming in heat. If more closely observed a small 

 clot of blood may be found behind her, in which a careful search 

 reveals the rudiments of the foal. If the occurrence is somewhat 

 later in gestation, there will be some general disturbance, neighing, 

 and straining, and the small body of the fetus is expelled, envel- 

 oped in its membranes. Abortions during the later stages of preg- 

 nancy are attended with greater constitutional disturbance, and 

 the process resembles normal parturition, with the aggravation that 

 more effort and straining is requisite to force the fetus through the 

 comparatively undilatable mouth of the womb. There is the swell- 

 ing of the vulva, with mucus or even bloody discharge; the abdo- 

 men droops, the flanks fall in, the udder fills, the mare looks at her 

 flanks, paws with the fore feet and kicks with the hind, switches 

 the tail, moves around uneasily, lies down and rises, strains, and, 

 as in natural foaling, expels first mucus and 'blood, then the waters, 

 and finally the fetus. This may occupy an hour or two, or it may 

 be prolonged for a day or more, the symptoms subsiding for a time, 

 only to reappear with renewed energy. If there is malpresentation 

 of the fetus it will hinder progress until rectified, as in difficult par- 

 turition. 



The most important object in an impending abortion is to 

 recognize it at as early a stage as possible, so that it may, if possible, 

 be cut short and prevented. Any general indefinable illness in a 

 pregnant mare should lead to a close examination of the vulva as 

 regards swelling, vascularity of its mucous membrane, and profuse 

 mucus secretion, and, above all, any streak or staining of blood; 

 also the condition of the udder, if that is congested and swollen. 

 Any such indication, with colicky pains, straining, however little, 

 and active movement of the fetus or entire absence of movement, 

 are suggestive symptoms and should be duly counteracted. 



The changes in the vulva and udder, with a soiled and bloody 

 condition of the tail, may suggest an abortion already accomplished, 

 and the examination with the hand in the vagina may detect the 



