1 84 PA THOL OG Y OF GESTA TION. 



muscles which enclose the cavity. In the Bitch the hernia may be in- 

 guinal ; in the other animals it is always accidental and ventral, and usu- 

 ally towards the inferior part of the abdomen, on the right or left side, 

 or in the pubic region. 



Its ordinary cause, when accidental, is due to the natural or spontane- 

 ous relaxation of the abdominal aponeuroses ; or to traumatism, as con- 

 tusions or strains, the viscus being generally only covered by the skin. 

 It is rare in young animals. 



In the Cow it is not at all unusual to observe the hernial tumor in front 

 of the pubis, towards the attachment of the recti muscles, and near the 

 udder ; here it may be of a great size, extending as low as the hocks, 

 pushing the mammary gland to one side, reaching as far forward as the 

 floating ribs, and containing, in addition, other of the abdominal viscera 

 than the uterus and its contents. This tumor impedes movement ; the 

 hind limbs are kept widely separated, and the animal is much inconve- 

 nienced. 



With the Bitch, ventral hysterocele has been noted in two regions — 

 above the mammae, where it might be mistaken for a scirrhus tumor ; and 

 in one of the labia of the vulva, beneath the skin. 



In the larger animals, the foetus may sometimes be felt in the tumor, 

 and its movements may be noticed ; though, owing to its being so low, it 

 cannot be reached from the rectum. 



Very often, excepting the inconvenience to the female, hysterocele does 

 not interfere with gestation, nor give rise to any serious symptoms ; 

 though, in some cases, it may render parturition laborious and protracted, 

 if not impossible. In other cases this act may be accomplished without 

 difficulty or extraneous aid ; Cows which have been ruptured from the 

 perineum to the ribs have calved easily enough ; and Leconte alludes to 

 Mare which had a uterine hernia nearly as extensive as this, and yet 

 brought forth four living foals in succession. 



Nevertheless, it is somewhat of a risk to attempt to breed from such 

 animals. When treating of difficult parturition, we shall have occasion 

 to return to this subject. In the mean time, it is only necessary to say 

 that in order to obviate serious consequences, the hernia should be sup- 

 ported by a wide bandage until the uterine contents are expelled. Should 

 circumstances render it necessary, abortion may be artificially induced, 

 or hysterotomy may be performed. 



Ante-partum Rupture of the Uterus. 



Rupture of the uterus may happen before and during parturition, or in 

 attempts to reduce the organ when inversion has occurred during that 

 act. This accident is not very common before gestation has terminated, 

 and the symptoms by which it can be diagnosed are not very reliable. 

 Spontaneous rupture of the uterus usually occurs at the anterior part of the 

 organ, between the two cornua, or even in the cornua themselves ; the 

 direction of the rupture generally depending on the direction of the mus- 

 cular fibres — being sometimes diagonal, at other times transversal, and 

 more rarely longitudinal. The size of the rupture also varies considerably ; 

 though it must be remembered that in the dead animal ruptures only ap- 

 pear in their original dimensions when the uterus had lost its contractility 

 before death, and immediately after their production ; when the organ has 

 contracted after the accident, the extent of the laceration is much dimin- 

 ished. The lips of the wound are in some cases thin and ragged, in 



