326 BOVINE OBSTETRICS 



4.— Retention of the Afterbirth. Retentio 

 Secundinarum. 



Causes. — The expulsion of the secundiues at the normal 

 time may be retarded by various causes. The aetiology of this 

 disease is of the greatest importance with regard to the various 

 methods of treatment. Insufficient contraction of the uterus is 

 probably the most common cause. While discussing the pro- 

 cess of involution of the uterus the importance of uterine con- 

 traction as regards expulsion of the foetal membranes was 

 shown. The agglutination of the foetal and maternal placentae 

 represents, as we know, the union between the foetal membranes 

 and cotyledons. When the uterus does not contract, the villi 

 of the placentae materna3 do not become quite bloodless ; there- 

 fore they remain slightly enlarged, retaining as a result the 

 villi of the placentas foetales. The union of course is not as 

 intimate as at the time when the foetus existed in the uterus, 

 since the fcetal placentas were also filled with blood. The 

 immediate function of the uterus is also wanting, in conse- 

 quence of which the surface of the uterus becomes smaller and 

 the mucosa plicated. This inactivity of the uterus often 

 depends on excessive dilatation, as met with in multiple preg- 

 nancy, hydrallantois and lardaceous calves. It may also 

 follow exhaustion of the mother, as by long drives, or exhaus- 

 tion of the uterus. The latter shows itself, for instance, when 

 torsio uteri existed for several days before assistance was 

 rendered. In such a case the secundinse are mostly retained. 

 In very fat cows the uterine contractions may be small after 

 parturition, thus interfering with the expulsion of the after- 

 birth. Here the fatty infiltration of the muscularis is probably 

 the cause of the limited contractility. The retention of the 

 afterbirth is often the result of firm adhesions between the 

 foetal and maternal placentae (for instance following a placen- 

 titis). The placentitis usually terminates with the production 

 of connective tissue. This new growth extends only to a few 

 cotyledons and then mostly to a portion of it. The oontrad- 



