Systematic Control of Genital Infections in Herds 701 



copulation partly eliminates infections lodged in these areas 

 and tends to minimize the danger of infection passing by sex 

 contact from one animal to the other. The douching, lessen- 

 ing the amount of infection in the vagina at the moment of 

 coitus, lowers the danger to the spermatozoa during their 

 intra-vaginal existence. When the owner of the bull does not 

 know the record of a strange cow, the douching immediately 

 after coitus is an important safety measure, but a good bull 

 should not be permitted to copulate with a cow not reason- 

 ably known to be sound. 



Vaginal douching immediately after coitus is not compati- 

 ble, so far as known, with good breeding results. It would 

 probably prevent conception in a vast majority of cases. 

 Two or three hours after coitus, douching of the vagina 

 does not interfere with conception, but may render it more 

 secure. The spermatozoa quickly pass into and through the 

 cervical canal, where the vaginal douche can not affect 

 them. The douche does, however, allay the vaginal irrita- 

 tion of coitus, especially in heifers with nodular venereal 

 disease of a severe type. In these the vaginitis of coitus is 

 very marked, but may be quite obviated by timely douching 

 with 0.25 per cent. Lugol's solution. Many bulls of low fer- 

 tility ejaculate bacteria with their semen. The spermatozoa 

 start rapidly upon their journey and probably largely leave 

 behind the bacteria, which timely douching may mechani- 

 cally eliminate. 



The highly interesting and probably very valuable 

 field of post-coital uterine douching has not yet been ade- 

 quately studied. Cervicitis is one of the commonest, if not 

 the commonest lesion in the genital organs of the cow, and 

 constitutes a formidable menace to conception and preg- 

 nancy. Copulation increases cervicitis and not infrequently 

 (streptococcic semino-vesiculitis of the bull, etc.) causes cer- 

 vicitis in cows which were healthy up to the time of coitus. 

 Although spermatozoa frequently pass unharmed over the 

 infected cervical mucosa, at this time deeply submerged be- 

 neath the flood of estrual mucus, if conception occurs, the 

 fertilized ovum upon its descent into the uterus is exposed 



