2 oo PA THOL OG Y OF GESTA TION. 



known to cause abortion. Ergotized grasses and grains have often pro- 

 duced wide-spread losses from this accident.* 



Excessive muscular exertion and unusual travelling, and especially if 

 there is a predisposition to abortion, is very likely to produce it ; if the 

 exertion is sudden and severe, or even moderate, but coming after a 

 long period of rest, it is all the more certain. Contusions to the abdo- 

 men by kicks or falls, or squeezing through a narrow doorway or passage, 

 railway or steamboat travelling, blows and shocks, keeping the animals 

 in stalls with very inclined floors, are all so many causes. A case came 

 under my observation recently, of a little Bitch, extremely fat, which 

 aborted at a late period of gestation, through frequently ascending and 

 descending a steep staircase. 



Access of the male not unfrequently produces a miscarriage ; and 

 exploration per vagtJiam by the expert, has also been blamed, as well as 

 surgical operations performed on pregnant animals — bleeding, for in- 

 stance, or throwing an animal down to be operated upon.f 



Carrying a rider, in the case of the Mare, and especially if spurs are 

 used, is attended with much risk. 



Excitement, fear,t sudden surprise, or anger, are also causes. Heavy 

 thunder has sometimes been serious in this way ; and the fear produced 

 by Dogs leads sometimes to heavy losses among Sheep — foxhounds run- 

 ning near or among pregnant Cattle or Sheep often cause considerable 

 damage, especially among nervous animals. 



Certain odors are said to cause abortion, and contagion is supposed to 

 play an active part. 



2. Internal Causes. — Badly-fed and neglected animals sometimes mis- 

 carry, but not nearly so frequently, perhaps, as those in the opposite con- 

 dition and extremely fat. It is generally admitted that with some 

 animals there is a special predisposition to abort, and that a very trifling 

 cause, and sometimes no appreciable cause at all, will induce this acci- 

 dent ; while other animals never lose their foetus, though exposed to the 

 influence of apparently most powerful causes. This predisposition is not 

 manifest externally, and sometimes it disappears as age advances. 



A more constant and potent cause, however, is to be found in the 

 presence of grave diseases, and especially those which aifect the system 

 generally, producing more or less derangement of all the functions. The 

 various serious epizootic maladies, enteritis, and all those abdominal 

 disorders which give rise to restlessness, tympanitis, cough, and those 

 diseases which induce cough — as bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, etc. — 

 pleurisy and other affections and injuries accompanied by great pain ; 



* The Veterinary Journal (vol. i., p. 422) alludes to an occurrence of this kind in New Zealand in 1875 

 It appears that this accident was comparatively rare in that colony until the introduction of rye-grass on the 

 pastures, after which it was common, and a cause of great loss when the rye became ergotized. The same 

 journal (vol. ii-, p. 5;) contains an account of serious abortions among Mares in Germany, due to rust 

 {Trichobasis riibigo) ov\. the straw on which they were fed. In Animal Plag'ues (London, 1871) many 

 interesting notices are given of similar occurrences. 



Haselbach reports that in a cow-shed where maize infested with its parasitic iungxis (l/slilaj^o mdidis) 

 was given to the cattle, eleven aborted within eight days. The food was changed at once, and the other 

 Cows escaped the accident. A certain quantity was administered to two pregnant Bitches, and they both 

 expelled their young. 



t Professor Bouley performed the operation of castration on three pregnant Cows ; they aborted in two 

 days after, and one died. Nevertheless, Chanel has seen a castrator operate on a Sow about two months 

 pregnant. Three foetuses, the size of the middle finger, were removed with the portion of cornu in which 

 they were contained. The poor beast lost much blood, and was very ill for six or seven days ; yet in more 

 than two months afterwards it brought forth five young pigs, which it suckled. 



J The Cat rarely aborts, and instances are on record in which they have fallen from a considerable height 

 without this accident occurring. Nevertheless, they are liable to miscarry, and a friend who lives near 

 Chatham had a favorite Cat heavy in kitten, that aborted immediately after being pursued by a strange 

 Dog, which, however, did not seiie it. The accident in this case was evidently due to fear. 



