174 



PATHOLOGY OF GESTATION. 



be successful that these collections form. The collections are gradually- 

 developed, and are accompanied by all the signs of ordinary ges- 

 tation, with the exception, of course, of the movements of the foetus. 

 Then, at a certain time, there appear the precursory indications of 

 parturition or abortion: expulsive efforts — certainly less energetic, 

 painful, or prolonged, as a rule, than those of natural parturition, and 

 rather resemble those of micturition or defecation. The cervix uteri 

 slowly enlarges, though the hand introduced into the vagina discovers it 

 — the OS — to be almost impervious, and neither fcetus nor membranes 

 can be felt ; when it is dilated, there. is at once a gush of fluid, the aspect 

 and c^ality of which varies. It is often greyish-colored, thick, and 

 more or less foetid ; though it may also be clear and serous. Its evacua- 

 tion may occur at very variable periods — as at one hundred and eighty 

 days, five and a half months, thirty-two weeks, or forty-six weeks, after 

 the supposed successful copulation, according to the various writers who 

 have described these cases. 



Many instances are on record (see the Veterinarian, vol. xlvi. p. 562) ; but we will 

 only quote one, which is the most recent : — 



Suchanka {GLstcrr. Vierteljahr. f. Wissenshaftliche Veterindrkunde,, i^j ^, p. 76) was 

 summoned, on February 11, to give an opinion as to whether a certain Cow was in calf. 

 The animal was five years old, and had been put to the bull on Aprd 21, 1874; it 

 should therefore have already calved. Many persons had declared that it was in calf ; 

 but the owner was doubtful, and as the animal was unprofitable, he determined to kill 

 it. Suchanka explained that, according. to all experience, the Cow should have calved 

 long before, and that it would be impossible for him to give a decided opinion unless 

 the owner gave his consent to an examination of the Cow, which entailed some. risk. 

 This consent being given, the examination was made. The general health of the animal 

 was not disturbed ; oestrum had ceased ; the abdomen was distended, and the tem- 

 perature was normal. On " touching " the lower part of the right flank, there was a 

 perceptible rebound, and on percussion a hollow sound was elicited ; there was slight 

 swelling of the vulva, with other indications which might lead one to expect that a 

 calf would soon be dropped. On making an exploration per rectum, the uterus was 

 discovered to be much distended in the right flank and fluctuating; but nothing of a 

 foetus could be detected. On examination per vagitiam, that cavity was found to be 

 filled with a yellow gelatinous matter, which on being removed permitted the open os 

 uteri to be felt. The latter syrry^tom, the fluctuation, and the absence of any trace of 

 a foetus, led Suchanka to doubt whether the case was one of normal pregnancy, and to 

 believe that he had to deal either with an abnormal embryo or disease of the uterus. 

 He recommended that the Cow should be killed. This being done, the uterus was 

 found to be of enormous size, and more especially towards the right cornu : this dis- 

 tention being due to the presence of twenty-five to thirty litres of a thin, reddish- 

 brown, but somewhat glutinous fluid. 



There was nothing solid in the uterus, the walls of which were very thin and flabby, 

 and the cotyledons flatter than in health ; the mucous membrane was smooth, though 

 thickened in the left cornu, of an unhealthy color, and covered with a watery mucus. 

 This was the first case of the kind which fell under Suchanka's observation, and in the 

 absence of' any thing to show that it was the result of abortion, he was of opinion that it 

 was an instance of hydrops uteri. 



There are two forms of hydrometra — cedematous hydrometra and ascitic 

 hydrometra. The former exists when the walls of the uterus are in- 

 filtrated with serum, and may acquire a thickness of four or five inches ; 

 the latter is an accumulation of fluid in the cavity of the uterus. Hy- 

 drometra has been observed in the Mare, Cow, and Bitch ; rarely in the 

 Sheep. 



Recovery has often followed the evacuation of the fluid, when it has 

 been in the uterine cavity ; in some cases the condition has become so 

 aggravated as to cause death, or necessitate the destruction of the animal. * 



