734 DISEASES AND ABNORMALITIES. 



Causes. 



The causes of omphalitis are numerous. They may be enumerated as 

 follows : the admission of air or foreign matters to the interior of the 

 umbilical vessels ; bruises or injury to the umbilicus, either during birth 

 or afterwards ; irritation of this part either by the litter, manure, or 

 urine ; the habit which certain females have of licking the umbilicus of 

 their progeny, or of young creatures to suck the remains of the umbilical 

 cord of each other ; rupture of the cord close to, or within the abdomen ; 

 improper food given to the mother ; exposure to cold and wet ; and in- 

 fection. Bollinger admits that in certain establishments, in consequence 

 of over-crowding, the omphalitis of young animals may become erysipe- 

 latous, and be due to an analogous infection to that which produces the 

 oftentimes fatal inflammation of the umbilical cicatrix in the new-born 

 children in maternity hospitals. Rueff asserts that omphalitis is more 

 frequent in some years than others. 



There can scarcely be any doubt that, as Franck remarks, this inflam- 

 mation is largely due to contact of the atmosphere with the umbilical 

 wound, and to the ingress of germs which excite zymosis ; or to contact 

 with filth or putrid matters. 



There can scarcely be a doubt, also, that the manner in which the um- 

 bilical cord is divided at birth has an influence in the production of this 

 inflammation ; indeed, this division or rupture of the cord necessarily 

 produces a wound which is readily absorbent under all circumstances, 

 until the remaining portion attached to the umbilicus becomes dry and 

 shrivelled. The exposed umbilical vein and artery in the foal, the double 

 vein in ruminants, also increase this readiness to receive infection, and 

 consequent tendency, to phlebitis ; and these vessels are occasionally laid 

 quite bare when the cord is divided close to the umbilical ring, and their 

 protecting sheath is removed. 



Franck gives an instance of this accident, which was witnessed in the 

 breeding sheds of the Munich Veterinary School. A Cow brought forth 

 twin calves, one of which — A — had the umbilical cord ruptured in the 

 usual way, while the other — B — had it torn asunder in a markedly abnor- 

 mal manner. 



Alongside this Cow stood another which had recently calved, then was 

 attacked with puerperal fever, and eventually succumbed to that disease. 

 The aftef-birth of this animal was allowed to lie behind the Cow which 

 had given birth to the twins ; so that there was no lack of infection-pro- 

 ducing material — the floor, straw, implements, as well as the hands of the 

 cowmen, being impregnated with it. 



The calf — B — which had the umbilical cord abnormally ruptured, be- 

 came affected with omphalitis ; while the other — A — with the wound 

 better protected, escaped infection and remained in good health. 



This cause of ompklialitis must be frequently and extensively in opera- 

 tion among the lambs of flocks of Ewes, when abortions occur among 

 these, or when putrid matters are discharged from the vulva, or even 

 when gangrenous or septic mammitis is present among them. It is often 

 remarked that omphalitis sometimes appears among a larger number of 

 lambs on a particular pasture ; and it is extremely probable that careful 

 investigation will lead to the discovery that many of these outbreaks are 

 largely, if not entirely, due to septic infection of this kind. Franck has 

 observed such occurrences in extensive cowsheds, when sometimes of ten 



