384 Diseases of the Ge?iital Organs 



of about ten inches. The capsule of the abscess, shown in 

 Fig. 124, consists chiefly of the cremaster muscle and its 

 fascia. The testicle and epididymis have almost completely 

 disappeared, though faint traces of the necrotic gland are 

 found embedded within the pus. A few bands of connective 

 tissue pass across the abscess cavity from wall to wall. 



The biology of orchitis in bulls has not been determined. 

 Erhardt (Schweizer Archiv. fur Tierheilkunde, Vol. 38, p. 

 79) records a case of orchitis in a bull due to the vesicular 

 venereal disease of cattle. Other writers also attribute cases 

 of purulent orchitis in the bull to the granular venereal dis- 

 ease, but this view is difficult of verification because the 

 biology of the malady is unknown. So far as known, the 

 B. abortus of Bang plays little or no part in the causation 

 of orchitis. 



Necessarily the prognosis of orchitis is highly unfavora- 

 ble. As a general rule, when the infection is so severe as to 

 cause definite clinical symptoms, the organ does not re- 

 cover its physiologic function. The danger to the life of 

 the animal is not great. 



The treatment of orchitis has not been definitely formu- 

 lated. Theoretically there might be some justification in 

 local applications intended to lessen the inflammation, such 

 as ice-packs or the application of cold water, along with 

 support by means of a suspensorium. Practically I have 

 not known this plan to accomplish any good and I doubt 

 very greatly its efficiency. If, however, one has reason to 

 believe that the orchitis is due to traumatism, the local 

 treatment should be applied and should promise well. I am 

 not certain how frequently traumatic orchitis occurs in do- 

 mestic animals. Many writers give it a prominent place, 

 though upon what ground is not perfectly clear. Gmelin 

 (Handbuch der Tieriirztlichen Chir. u. Geburtshilfe, Bayer 

 und Frohner, p. 432) states that the commonest cause of 

 orchitis is traumatism, but I have not seen this in any do- 

 mestic animal save in one case of gunshot wound. 



As a general rule, as stated above, the functional life of 

 the gland is at an end. Whenever this may be assumed, the 



