218 Diseases of the Genital Organs 



meddling by incompetent persons in an effort to "open the 

 womb". 



In the mare, this accident would seem more possible be- 

 cause of the very wide, valveless meatus, through which 

 several fingers may be passed, but the penis of the stallion 

 is large and the glans very broad. Elsewhere I have de- 

 scribed a filly with a persistent, though perforate hymen, 

 which deflected the penis of the stallion downward and ap- 

 parently caused a wide dilation of the urethra but no harm 

 to the bladder. 



F. Vaginal Hemorrhage Following Coitus 



Hemorrhage following coitus is not rare. It often follows 

 copulation of a virgin female, owing to slight lacerations 

 of remnants of the hymen. In cattle, when the granular 

 venereal disease is very severe, hemorrhage in both sexes 

 often follows coitus. This will be discussed in a succeed- 

 ing chapter. If stricture of the vagina is present, coitus is 

 always liable to cause hemorrhage. Often lacerations of the 

 vagina during coitus, already cited, cause more or less hem- 

 orrhage. Tumors of the genitalia which are lacerated by 

 coitus may bleed quite profusely. 



G. Urethral Hemorrhage in Stallions 



Hemorrhage from the urethra following coitus was ob- 

 served by me in a valuable racing stallion. The patient, a 

 famous imported thoroughbred in fine physical condition, 

 had been a successful sire. He was very vigorous in copu- 

 lating. Without warning, he suddenly began to bleed pro- 

 fusely from the urethra after each coitus. The act of copu- 

 lation appeared normal, and was completed promptly and 

 naturally. A moment after dismounting, before the penis 

 had retracted, there was a sudden gush of bright red blood, 

 estimated at about one pint, after each copulation. 



The source of the hemorrhage could not be determined, 

 though it probably emanated from the pelvic urethra, vesi- 

 culae seminales, prostate, or Cowper's glands. Its cause was 



