700 Diseases of the Genital Organs 



and bismuth subnitrate, or these drugs suspended in oil, as 

 a rule of practice, within a few hours after the termination 

 of pregnancy. The details are considered under "Puerperal 

 Infections". Re-examination should be made as conditions 

 may suggest. At forty to sixty days after calving or abort- 

 ing, if there is no marked disease, an examination of the 

 genital system should be made to determine if the patient is 

 ready to breed. If a corpus luteum is present and early 

 breeding is desired, the corpus luteum may be dislodged and 

 estrum induced. Unless there is reason for haste, the cor- 

 pus luteum should be left undisturbed. If the condition of 

 the genital organs is satisfactory, she may then be bred. 



(3) When a heifer has reached the age to breed, or when 

 sufficient time has expired since a cow has calved and the 

 genital organs are healthy, the animal may be bred. The 

 best time to breed a cow or heifer is the earliest hour in es- 

 trum when she will stand for coitus without restraint. The 

 spermatozoa will then have ample time to reach the pavilion 

 of the oviduct and be ready to fertilize the ovum immediately 

 it is discharged from the ovary. Prior to coitus it should be 

 seen that the external genitalia of the female are clean. It 

 is best to wash the vulva, and especially to free the vulvar 

 tuft of hairs from dried crusts of pus which may be caught 

 by the penis and injure it. If the vagina is irritated by the 

 nodular venereal disease or other cause, it should be douched 

 with physiologic salt solution or 0.25 per cent. Lugol's solu- 

 tion. The copulatory organs of the bull should be similarly 

 cleansed by douching, as has been previously described, 

 special attention being given to the preputial tuft of hairs. 

 Coitus may then occur immediately. Immediately after 

 coitus the copulatory organs of the bull should again be 

 douched. 



The importance of washing or douching the copulatory 

 organs has been greatly overestimated by many and under- 

 estimated by others. The douching can not exert any direct 

 influence upon deeply seated infections. Its value is strictly 

 limited to superficial infections of the copulatory organs. It 

 has an important place in sex hygiene. Douching prior to 



