804 Diseases of the Genital Organs 



tions of the decomposing chorion or amnion may protrude 

 from the vulva, but there are no expulsive efforts. The 

 uterus is powerless to act upon its contents. The great thick- 

 ening of the uterine wall is largely confined to the placental 

 tissues. If the emphysematous fetal cadaver is removed 

 by embryotomy or otherwise and the uterus douched clean, 

 the mare probably recovers and may retain her fertility. 

 The removal of the emphysematous cadaver is described in 

 the companion volume, Veterinary Obstetrics. 



Although puerperal metritis in animals is almost always 

 the continuation of the metritis of pregnancy into the puer- 

 peral period, the puerperal metritis is aggravated by the 

 dehiscence of the chorion and exposure thereby of the entire 

 denuded area to the infection present. Parturient con- 

 tusions and lacerations are frequent and are at times peril- 

 ous. The layman undertaking obstetric work and, still more 

 dangerously, the careless and dirty veterinarian coming 

 from other highly infected cases, frequently introduces dan- 

 gerous types of infection into the uterus with dirty hands, 

 instruments or apparatus. 



One of the most serious parturient contusions is that due 

 to impingement of the floor of the uterus or cervix between 

 a firm, bony part of the fetus and the conical protuberance 

 projecting into the pelvic cavity from the anterior end of 

 the symphysis pubis. This sometimes perforates the floor 

 of the genital tract directly, but more frequently so maims 

 the tissues that necrosis occurs and infection penetrates the 

 peritoneal cavity. Then a violent metro-peritonitis ensues, 

 which commonly results in death. Sometimes virulent in- 

 fection invades the floor of the genital canal through the 

 Lacerated tissues and, spreading out from the point of in- 

 vasion, sets up a malignant and fatal phlegmon involving 

 the utero-cervico-vaginal floor, the urinary bladder and 

 neighboring parts. The patient then exhibits all the signs of 

 profound sepsis with great depression, erratic temperature 

 and disinclination to move because of the great pain in the 

 pelvis. Vaginal or rectal palpation reveals extensive phleg- 

 mon or, in mild cases, abscesses in the pelvic tissues, largely 



