35° 



MATERNAL DYSTOKIA, 



comatous, or cancerous — so that its elasticity being destroyed, and its 

 structure inextensible, it offers an obstacle to parturition. 



This alteration, or " scirrhus," as it has sometimes been designated, is 

 not at all unfrequent; but it has only been observed, it appears, in the 

 Cow, and would seem to be almost, if not quite, peculiar to that animal.* 

 The reason for this partiality has been variously accounted for, but prob- 

 ably Bouley, in an unpublished note to Saint-Cyr, has afforded the most 

 satisfactory explanation. He remarks that " irritation produces in the 

 bovine species phenomena of induration much more durable than in any 

 other species ; in proof of this, witness the plastic engorgements — so ad- 

 verse to suppuration, and so slow to disappear — which are caused by a 

 seton introduced beneath the skin of an ox ; witness, also, the enormous 

 swellings observed as a consequence of inoculation for pleuro-pneumonia 

 (bovine), and those indurated tumors vulgarly designated osteo-sarcoma- 

 tous, so frequent on the maxilla, and which repeated irritation produced 

 by the prick of a needle are sufficient to produce. This seems to be a 

 general organic fact, of which induration of the cervix uteri is only a par- 

 ticular instance." 



This induration must not be confounded with the dense, fibrous, though 

 normal, consistence of the cervix of the Cow's uterus, which, there can be 

 no doubt, has often been mistaken for a diseased condition, and particu- 

 larly when in a rigid or spasmodic state. The distinction between what 

 we may term the functional dera?igement an-d the pathological alteration of 

 this part is of great importance from an obstetrical point of view ; as 

 the first maybe remedied by the- mild and innocuous measures enume- 

 rated, while the second can only be overcome by a more or less serious 

 surgical operation. 



In some cases, perhaps the induration is congenital ; but it must be 

 admitted that, as a rule, it is due to the influence of disease or injury — 

 past or present — in the textures. It may, therefore, be expected to be 

 more frequent in old animals, or those which have already been bred 

 from, than in those which are young or are pregnant for the first time, 

 though these do not appear to be exempt. 



Rancon assured Rainard that morbid induration of this part was wit- 

 nessed more frequently in the ancient Brian9onnais, where he practised 

 for thirty-six years, than in other regions of France. We are not aware 

 whether the influence of breed or locality has been observed to influence 

 its prevalence in other countries. 



Symptoms. 



Owing to the situation of the cervix, the nature of the tissues entering 

 into its composition, as well as to the slowness with which the pathologi- 

 cal alterations take place, this condition may be in existence for a long 

 time, without any appreciable change being observable in the animal's 

 health. Therefore it is that Cows which are so affected do not exhibit 

 any thing, during the whole period of pregnancy, which might lead any 

 one to suspect the existence of uterine disease. 



* I can only find one case mentioned as occurring in any other animal, and that happened in a Ewe. It 

 is reported by Shentone ( Veterinarian, vol. xxix. p. 36), who says that the creature had been in labor 

 since the previous night, but had made no progress, and was very much exhausted. " It was a case of 

 scirrhous os uteri- 1 told him (the owner) I would divide the stricture as the only means of saving her, 

 but in her <;ase it was almost a 'forlorn hope.' However, I did divide it, cutting in"two places, parallel to 

 each other, and with a good deal of difficulty extracted a large lamb that had, from its appearance, been 

 dead for some time." The Ewe recovered. 



