INVOLUTION OF THE UTERUS 83 



abdominal muscles during the immediate post-partum stage is 

 physiological. A slanting position of the cow often induces 

 violent after-pains. This should be avoided. The care which 

 the animal requires in this stage confines itself to see that she 

 lies horizontally, that neighboring animals do not step upon, 

 tear or devour the placenta. The latter may give rise to serious 

 indigestion. This is occasionally seen in cows at pasture. 



The expelled placenta must not remain in the manure 

 behind the cow, but should be removed promptly and destroyed 

 outside the stable. The udder, tail and hind legs are cleansed 

 with soap and water and then rubbed dry. The cow should be 

 watched in the interval between parturition and post-partum 

 period, in order to care for or render assistance when disturb- 

 ances manifest themselves. 



II. — LOCHIA. 



By lochia is understood a uterine discharge continuing for 

 several days after expulsion of the foetal membranes. It is 

 inconsiderable in the cow and cannot be compared with a 

 lochial flow or fluxus lochialis. 



The lochia are a chocolate colored or only faintly colored 

 fluid, consisting mainly of uterine milk, and contain also uterine 

 epithelium, leucocytes and fat. 



As long as the os uteri remains open the discharge may 

 be evacuated, but when the os is closed it may be resorbed 

 provided it is aseptic ; but it may give rise to serious disturb- 

 ances when forming a favorable medium for developing patho- 

 genic organisms. 



In the cow this discharge is characterized by agglutina- 

 tion of the long hairs on the vulva, by the muco-sanguino- 

 lent matter at the inferior commissure, the tail and about the 

 vulva. In the first few days after labor the lochia are of dark 

 color, to become lighter and finally white and slimy. Physio- 

 logically, the excretion of the lochia does not require more 

 than eight days. 



It is of less importance in the cow than in carnivora, as 

 detachment of the placenta in the latter means injury to the 



