MORBID ALTERATIONS IN THE GENITAL ORGANS. 353 



Dilatation of the os being deemed impossible, and the animal being nearly dead, 

 Lecoq had it destroyed ; at the autopsy he discovered the following lesions : " The 

 lining membrane of the uterus was of a dark-red color, which became black towards the 

 cervix ; while the os was so contracted that the finger could scarcely be passed into it. 

 The walls of the cervix presented a yellow scirrhous engorgement, so hard that it creaked 

 under the scalpel ; its thickness varied from one to two inches, and in its centre were 

 several small purulent centres the size of a cherry-stone. A cylindrical body of the same 

 character, about five inches in length, and gradually diminishing in volume, was lodged 

 at the upper part of the vagina. ' 



2. In a Cow w.iich had died about three weeks after parturition, but which, it appears, 

 had hien suffering for fifteen months, and had succumbed to the effects of calving, Gelle 

 [Pathologie Bovine, vol. iii., p. 618) found the following, among other lesions: "The 

 vagina was in its normal condition, but the neck of the uterus was invaded by an enor- 

 mous hard, unequal, and lobulated cancerous tumor, softened at several points, and from 

 several openings in which escaped a pultaceous, greyish-white cerebriform matter, mixed 

 with blood-streaks, and which blackened the silver probe. A little of this matter flowed 

 into the vagina; but in the cavity of the uterus there was a large quantity, which was 

 also more colored by the blood that had passed with it through the fistulous openings 

 in the tumor. The large violet and slaty-colored patches on the lining membrane of the 

 uterus, testifv to the chronic character of the inflammation. 



3. Horsbu'rgh relates ( Veterinarian, vol. xiv., p. 605) the case of a Cow in labor, 

 which had been very ill for two days, and which had been attended by an old shepherd. 

 When Horsburgh saw the poor animal it was dying, and the os was completely con- 

 tracted and undilatable. He attempted to incise the cervix, but this caused so much 

 pain that he desisted, and awaited the death of the animal, in order to perform the Cae- 

 sarean section and extract the calf. In a short time the Cow succumbed and the opera- 

 tion was performed, but the fcetus was dead. On examination, the latter was found in a 

 natural position, but the uterus was much inflamed. A stricture of the os, about four 

 inches in length, existed ; this was " corrugated longitudinally, and of a cartilaginous 

 hardness — so much so that I could not force a passage with the finger, but found a blunt- 

 pointed stick to answer the purpose. I removed the uterus by dividing the vagina about 

 four inches posterior to the stricture, and, with the hooked bistoury, made an incision 

 longitudinally through one of the sides of the cartilaginous substance. The parts were 

 immediately dilated, until I could with ease introduce my hand. On making the incis- 

 ion on the other side, the corrugations gave way." 



4. Macgillivray [Ibid., vol. xlv., p. 718) attended an aged Cow, almost reduced to a 

 skeleton from the effect of a rheumatic fever. The animal had not been able to get up 

 for three weeks, and was now in the pangs of impotent labor. " On examination, I 

 found this a case of hard stricture, the worst case I ever met with, there being no less 

 than six transverse hardened bands, each completely encircling the cervix uteri. The 

 OS uteri was also firmly rigid. I found it utterly impossible to complete the incisive ope- 

 ration in this case, and only succeeded in cutting through three of the transverse rugae 

 or hardened bands; and as the Cow was evidently a worthless subject, and there being 

 no doubt that the Calf was alive, I proposed performing the Cassarean operation, in 

 order to save the life of the latter. The owner at once consented, and appeared highly 

 delighted with the Calf, which was alive and ultimately did well. The Cow was killed 

 immediately after the operation. 



^ Treatment. 



The condition of the cervix uteri being ascertained, there should be no 

 delay in resorting to active measures, as it is impossible for delivery to be 

 effected, in the great majority of cases, without such interference. Here 

 the necessity for a correct diagnosis is, as we have already insisted, of 

 the greatest moment ; for if the obstacle to birth is only rigidity or spasm 

 of the uterus, this can generally be overcome by mild measures and with- 

 out risk or injury to the animal ; whereas, in induration, these measures 

 would be ineffective, and valuable time would be lost in trying them. 



Delivery, in induration of the cervix, must be effected by one of two 

 serious operations. This must be either vaginal-hysterotomy or gastro- 

 hysterotomy. We shall again allude to, and describe these, in speaking of 

 obstetrical operations. 



It may only be necessary in this place to say that vaginal-hysterotomy 



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