520 Diseases of the Genital Organs 



a large volume of exudate, she would probably abort, and 

 that carbolic acid, hypodermically or otherwise, exerted no 

 recognizable influence. 



The belief of Bang and his followers that he had discov- 

 ered the specific cause of abortion immediately aroused high 

 hopes that a definite remedy would follow. It was believed 

 by Bang that the discovery of the cause would be followed 

 quickly by a cure or by some means for control. The vast 

 majority of investigators and breeders have concentrated 

 their efforts since 1896 upon finding a remedy for abortion, 

 based upon B. abortus as the specific cause. There has been 

 no more lamentable failure in the annals of veterinary medi- 

 cine than the attempt to control abortion as a specific con- 

 tagious disease due to the B. abortus of Bang. The infec- 

 tions in the genital tract of cattle have increased enormously 

 in virulence in every country. In America numerous herds 

 of pedigreed cattle of potentially great value do little more 

 than maintain their numerical status. Death and disability 

 from genital diseases of females of breeding age consume 

 practically all heifer calves reared in the herd. The sur- 

 plus bull calves carry into the herds where they are sold 

 virulent infections with which they are saturated at birth. 

 Despite this evident, pitiably disastrous failure, many in- 

 vestigators, veterinarians and breeders are clinging tena- 

 ciously to the belief that abortion in cattle is a specific con- 

 tagious disease due to the B. abortus and that its control is 

 to be brought about upon that basis and that alone. 



After the failure of the Brauer plan with carbolic acid, 

 Rich of Vermont believed for a time that he had discovered 

 an efficient systemic disinfectant in methylene blue, but the 

 error was promptly recognized and the plan abandoned. 



Attempts to disinfect the contents of the pregnant uterus 

 are contrary to all existing knowledge of its physiology and 

 that of the embryo. Experiments show that aniline dyes, 

 like methylene blue, do not reach the embryo, but are caught 

 or turned back at the placenta. It is not known that any 

 disinfectant can pass the placental filter in a manner to ex- 

 ert practical influence. In abortion most of the infection is 



