ABORTION 107 



dition are only weak. The expulsive force is greatly diminished 

 since now the auxiliary muscles are in abeyance, and therefore 

 forcible extraction is called for. Besides that, reposition is 

 made difficult, as certain parts of the foetus, on account of the 

 great distance, are not accessible to the hand. Under these 

 circumstances it is best to raise the belly of the cow with a 

 covered board, or to put her into a dorsal position, to reach the 

 foetus. The strongly dilated uterus frequently contracts but 

 slowly after extraction, and as a consequence the foetal enve- 

 lopes are retained. This must be considered and the treatment 

 shaped accordingly. After parturition, intestines often enter 

 the hernial sac, so that the hernia persists. When the right 

 rectus abdominis is torn off, no recovery is possible. 



5.— Abortion. 



Definition. — The period of gestation of the cow is pretty 

 well established. It is, on an average, 40 weeks. Expulsion 

 of the foetus at that time is spoken of as natural parturition, or 

 partus maturus. Expulsion before this time, provided the 

 foetus is capable of living, is termed premature birth, or partus 

 pnematurus. When expelled at a time when insufficiently 

 developed to live external to its mother, it is kuown as abortion, 

 or partus immaturus. 



Abortion therefore means expulsion of the young at an 

 earlier period than premature birth ; the latter can only occur 

 in the cow after the thirty-secoud week of her period of gesta- 

 tion. As a rule, the word abortion is used to indicate a 

 premature expulsion~of the foetus, whether able to live outside 

 the uterus or not. 



In the further course of my discussion, I mean by abortion, 

 premature expulsion of the foetus, no matter at what time it 

 occurs. 



None of our domestic animals are so frequently affected 

 with this disease as the cow. The economic importance of this 

 disease is great, especially when of an enzootic nature ; but also 

 when attacking the only cow of a smaller breeder the damage 



