TRAUMATIC LESIONS OF THE GENITAL ORGANS, ETC. 625 



to extract a calf in a false presentation. The Cow died. The peritoneum was inflamed, 

 about two quarts of coagulated blood was contained in the uterus, and the floor of the 

 latter, towards the fundus, was lacerated and ruptured in two places. One rupture was 

 towards the posterior part of the fundus, extending in a circular manner nearly around 

 it. The organ had contracted very much. 



14. Younghusband {Ibid., vol. xxvi., p. 382) was sent for in haste to see a Cow which, 

 three days previously, had calved, and was apparently quite well until that morning, 

 when inversion of the uterus was discovered. He found the placental membranes ad- 

 herent to the surface of the organ, which was greatly soiled. The hind-quarters were 

 well elevated, the placenta detached, and the uterus cleansed by weak spirit and water ; 

 on proceeding to return it, a large rent was found through which the hand could be 

 passed, and which was supposed to have been caused by the next Cow having trodden 

 upon the extruded mass. Reposition was attempted. " Judging I had got all the part 

 into a right position, I made an attempt to withdraw my arm ; but in doing this the Cow 

 immediately began to strain with such violence that it was with the greatest difficulty I 

 could retain the part. But by a fortunate slip, her anterior parts were brought so near 

 the ground that I now easily accomplished that which for a length of time I had found 

 the gre'atest difficulty in attempting to do — getting the part into a right position, retain- 

 ing it there, and withdrawing my arm without difficulty." The usual measures were 

 adopted to prevent a recurrence of the inversion, an anodyne was given, and recovery 

 soon ensued. The Cow had two calves afterwards. 



15. The same veterinary surgeon (//^/^.) refers to the case of a Cow which calved 

 without difficulty, and soon after had inversion of the uterus, the placen'.a remaining ad- 

 herent. The owner took precautions against injury to the organ, and hurriedly sent for 

 Younghusband, who on arrival detached the placenta, and readily replaced the uterus. 

 Immediately, however, a portion of the small intestine appeared through the vulva, and 

 a rent was soon discovered towards the fundus of the organ. The intestine was returned 

 without much difficulty, and contraction of the uterus was brought about by applying 

 tincture of opium and camphor. No truss was employed, and the Cow recovered. 



SECTION II. — LACERATION AND RUPTURE OF THE VAGINA 



Lacerations and rupture of the vagina are not at all unfrequent in the 

 larger domesticated animals, and they are generally as serious as those of 

 the uterus. These accidents may occur during copulation, as well as in 

 parturition ; but they are more common in the latter. Trifling laceration 

 of the vagina and vulva is often observed in primiparae, or those animals 

 in which the soft parturient passages are narrow or rigid. 



The injury may be either spontaneous or accidental. The accidental in- 

 juries are those produced artificially during assisted labor, and are due 

 either to the instruments employed — hooks, forceps, knives, etc. ; the 

 hand or the nails of the fingers of the obstetrist — the sharp exposed bones 

 of the foetus when embryotomy has been practised, or from some salient 

 part of the young creature during the uterine contractions. In the latter 

 case, the feet generally cause the laceration or rupture. Deformity of the 

 pelvis, or roughened nodules of bone in the vicinity of the genital canal, 

 may also lead to serious lesions of the vagina. 



When the lesion occurs in what we may call a "spontaneous manner," 

 it happens either that the vagina is lacerated along with the uterus, during 

 natural labor and from continuity of texture, or when the os is amply 

 dilated, but the vagina is overstretched by the foetus. 



In some instances such an accident as rupture of the vagina may be 

 secondary : as when the textures which form its walls are much bruised 

 and contused during the passage of the foetus. Then gangrene may 

 supervene, and the mortified tissue be thrown off in a gradual manner, 

 until complete perforation has taken place. 



The lesions arising from these different causes are extremely varied — 

 from removal of the epithelium or simple abrasion, to laceration of the 

 mucous membrane, or even thorough perforation of the vagina ; and they 



40 



