DISEASES OF HORSES 343 



RUPTURE, OR LACERATION OF THE WOMB. 



This may occur from the feet of the foal during parturition, or 

 from ill-directed efforts to assist, but it is especially liable to take 

 place in the everted, congested, and friable organ. The resultant 

 dangers are bleeding from the wound, escape of the bowels through 

 the opening and their fatal injury by the mare's feet or otherwise, and 

 peritonitis from the extension of inflammation from the wound and 

 from the poisonous action of the septic liquids of the womb escaping 

 into the abdominal cavity. The first object is to close the wound, 

 but unless in eversion of the womb this is practically impossible. In 

 the last-named condition the wound must be carefully and accu- 

 rately sewed up before the womb is returned. After its return, the 

 womb must be injected daily with an antiseptic solution (borax, one- 

 half ounce, or carbolic acid, 3 drams to a quart of tepid water) . If 

 inflammation threatens, the abdomen may be bathed continuously 

 with hot water by means of a heavy woolen rag, and large doses of 

 opium (one-half dram) may be given twice or thrice daily. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE WOMB AND PERITONEUM. 



These may result from injuries sustained by the womb during 

 or after parturition, from exposure to cold or wet, or from the irri- 

 tant infective action of putrid products within the womb. Under 

 the inflammation the womb remains dilated and flaccid, and decom- 

 position of its secretions almost always occurs, so that the inflamma- 

 tion tends to assume a putrid character and general septic infection 

 is likely to occur. 



Symptoms. The symptoms are ushered in by shivering, staring 

 coat, small rapid pulse, elevated temperature, accelerated breathing, 

 inappetence, with arched back, stiff movement of the body, looking 

 back at the flanks, and uneasy motions of the hind limbs, discharge 

 from the vulva of a liquid at first watery, reddish, or yellowish, and 

 later it may be whitish or glairy, and fetid or not in different cases. 

 Tenderness of the abdomen shown on pressure is especially charac- 

 teristic of cases affecting the peritoneum or lining of the belly, and 

 is more marked lower down. If the animal survives, the inflamma- 

 tion tends to become chronic and attended by a whitish muco-puru- 

 lent discharge. If, on the contrary, it proves fatal, death is preceded 

 by extreme prostration and weakness from the general septic 

 poisoning. 



Treatment. In treatment the first thing to be sought is the re- 

 moval of all offensive and irritant matters from the womb through a 

 caoutchouc tube introduced into the womb, and into which a funnel 

 is fitted. Warm water should be passed until it comes away clear. 

 To insure that all of the womb has been washed out, the oiled hand 

 may be introduced to carry the end of the tube into the two horns 

 successively. When the offensive contents have been thus removed, 

 the womb should be injected with a part of water holding in solu- 

 tion 1 dram permanganate of potash, or, in the absence of the latter, 

 2 teaspoonfuls of carbolic acid. Repeat twice daily. Fomentation 

 of the abdomen, or the application of a warm flaxseed poultice, may 



