Strictures of \ T agina and Vulva 175 



high, thus bringing the vulvar opening toward the perpen- 

 dicular. Horizontal vulva also follows perineal laceration 

 at the superior vulvar commissure. This is described under 

 "Parturient Injuries". 



D. Strictures of Vagina and Vulva 



Strictures of the vagina, and more rarely of the vulva, 

 are occasionally encountered in domestic animals, chiefly 

 in the mare and the cow. They always result, so far as 

 known, from some prior inflammation of these parts, but 

 frequently the history of the disease is not available and the 

 veterinarian encounters simply the result of the disease. 



In a mare which came under my observation, there was 

 difficulty in parturition due to an anterior presentation in 

 the dorso-sacral position, with the two hind feet pushed 

 forward beneath the fold into the pelvis. The difficulty, oc- 

 curring during the night, was not observed until morning. 

 Delivery was promptly and readily accomplished by em- 

 bryotomy, but the vulva had been so badly contused that 

 more than half of its circumference became necrotic and 

 sloughed away. The resulting constriction was such that 

 the animal could not copulate. She might have been arti- 

 ficially fertilized without material difficulty but, as she prob- 

 ably would have been unable to give birth to young, no at- 

 tempt was made to cause her to breed. I could see no pros- 

 pect for success by any operation. The mare was conse- 

 quently used for work. 



I observed one instance of severe stricture of the vagina 

 in a mare, the origin of which was unknown. Without 

 knowledge of the presence of the lesion, the owner attempted 

 to breed her. This caused extensive lacerations of the va- 

 gina with great pain and straining. She was placed under 

 my care. The straining caused an eversion of the floor of 

 the vagina and the urinary bladder (vesico-vaginocele) . I 

 attempted to keep the vagina and bladder in position with a 

 truss, and later with vulvar sutures, but failed. Finally I 

 controlled the straining and eversion by producing profound 

 and prolonged chloral narcosis. 



