366 MATERNAL DYSTOKIA. 



men hard and tense ; breathing much hurried; pulse 75 beats per minute, and tempera- 

 ture 104°. The straining being a suspicious symptom, inquiry was made as to whether 

 the animal had been put to the bull, but the reply was in the negative. On separating 

 the labice valvce, nothing abnormal could be detected ; and it was therefore concluded 

 that obstruction of the bowels was really the cause of illness. Treatment was adopted 

 accordingly. During fire days there was no alteration, though the bowels had acted 

 freely ; but on the filth day, on attempting to explore the vaginal passage, it was dis- 

 covered that the hand, or even a finger, could not be got beyond the vulva. Thinking 

 it might be merely an extra tightness at the ostum vagince, considerable force was used, 

 but only one finger could be made to penetrate about an inch. No vaginal canal 

 existed, and its walls seemed to have grown firmly together. 



The Heifer was now straining so violently, as to leave but little doubt that irritation 

 about the generative organs was the sole cause of the illness. Continuing patiently to 

 exert steady force, two fingers were finally pushed some four or five inches through 

 where the vagina should have been, when there all at once escaped a dark-brown fluid 

 which had a most repulsive odor. This fluid came away in variable quantity every 

 time the creature strained. Next day, after great difficulty and laceration, from vulva 

 to uterus, the os of the latter was reached ; the operation was like " forcing one's hand 

 into a piece of raw firm muscular tissue." " The os uteri was fully dilated, and the 

 uterus itself had seemingly been pretty much distended by the imprisoned fluid." 



As the case was considered hopeless, and the animal was in good condition, it was 

 killed. An examination of the vagina and uterus could not be made. 



Macgillivray was of opinion that this case goes to prove the existence of a menstrual 

 discharge in the brute female, analogous to that in the human female, the symptoms of 

 retention being somewhat similar. " The cestral products — however many times the 

 Heifer had been in * heat ' — had evidently never found exit from the uterus, and the re- 

 sult was the immense collection of a most abominably-smelling serosanguineous fluid, 

 which escaped after the forcible opening up of the hitherto impervious vaginal canal." 



A very similar case is recorded by West ( Veterinary Journal, February, 1877), but in 

 this instance the animal recovered. 



Acquired Stenosis or Atresia is generally the result of certain diseases, 

 or injuries, such as inflammation, suppuration and ulceration, and lacera- 

 tion, often due to difficult parturition. These may lead to hypertrophy 

 and density of the tissues, hard resisting cicatrices, solid adhesions, or 

 partial or complete obliteration. 



Malposition of the vulva may also lead to atresia. I witnessed a case 

 of this kind in an Arab Mare of high pedigree in Syria. The vulva was 

 partly below the ischial arch. 



In primiparae, cases of abortion, cases in which birth occurs in a hur- 

 ried manner, as well as when the water-bag is ruptured too soon, or in 

 those breech presentations in which the hind legs are bent forward and 

 only the hocks offer — in all these the narrowness of the vulva and vagina, 

 from lack of preparation, is often an obstacle to parturition, their tissues 

 being "hard." 



But with patience and warm emollient injections, as well as careful and 

 gradual manual dilatation, this obstacle may be overcome. When birth 

 is taking place too hurriedly, Rainard recommends closing the animal's 

 nostrils and opening its mouth, pulling out its tongue, and pressing on 

 the loins to prevent its arching the back and straining. It is very rare that 

 the resistance is serious, and in the great majority of cases birth occurs 

 spontaneously, or with trifling assistance. 



Some authorities, however, have met with instances in which it was 

 necessary to dilate the vulvular orifice by incision, in order to prevent 

 this part being lacerated, and to spare the animal pain and subsequent 

 deterioration. 



When the dystokia is due to disease or a traumatic cause, birth is more 

 difficult ; and this difficulty is increased as the pathological alteration is 

 extensive. 



