EPIZOOTIC ABORTION IN COWS. 553 



the glandular tissue and the interstitial tissue. From the anatomical 

 and pathological point of view different forms are recognised, some with 

 glandular and mucous atrophy, others with marked hypertrophy, the 

 mucous membrane being covered in some cases with vegetations and 

 fungus-like growths. 



Diagnosis. From a clinical standpoint, it is only necessary to dis- 

 tinguish the ordinary forms from tuberculous metritis, which latter is 

 of no clinical importance on account of the impossibility of treatment. 



Prognosis. The prognosis is grave, as in all chronic diseases. 

 Furthermore the animals are, for the time being, sterile and diffi- 

 cult to fatten. 



Treatment. One of the fundamental conditions of treatment is to 

 attack the disease locally, and it is necessary, therefore, that the 

 uterine neck should be dilated. 



If the neck of the uterus is pervious, the parts must be washed 

 out daily with antiseptic solutions, after having lightly curetted the 

 mucous membrane with a blunt curette. Boiled water is first used, 

 and is followed by solutions of chloral, iodine, hydroxyl, or per- 

 manganate of potash. 



When the neck of the uterus is contracted, it must first of all be 

 dilated. In practice such treatment is sometimes considered too costly, 

 so that the animals are slaughtered or recovery is left to chance. 



Moussu has seen several animals suffering from metritis, and even 

 from salpingitis, recover spontaneously after six to eight months at grass. 



EPIZOOTIC ABORTION IN COWS. 



This disease, which was carefully investigated, first by Professor 

 Nocard of Alfort, and afterwards by Professor Bang of Copenhagen, may 

 be regarded as a specific uterine catarrh, determined by a definite 

 species of bacterium. 



It often affects large numbers of animals in one district or on 

 one farm, and causes very serious loss. It is conveyed from cow to 

 cow either by the bull or by litter or utensils used in the byre which 

 have been soiled by the uterine discharges of an infected cow. As 

 in many other infectious disorders, one attack of the disease seems 

 to confer a certain immunity, and although some cows become sterile 

 after an attack and others continue to abort, a certain proportion 

 after aborting two or three times acquire relative immunity, so that 

 they conceive and carry their calves the full time. This is probably 

 why epizootic abortion usually ceases after some years in herds which 

 are kept isolated and do not receive fresh recruits. 



The microbe of epizootic abortion is a very small bacterium which 

 stains well with Loffler's methylene blue. When massed together 



