DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 399 



In some mares the contractions are too violent to allow of 

 the return of the womb, and full doses of opium (one-half 

 drachm), laudanum (two ounces), or chloral hydrate (one 

 ounce) may be demanded, or the mare must be rendered in 

 sensible by ether or chloroform. 



RUPTURE OR LACERATION OF THE WOMB. 



This may occur from the feet of the foal during parturi- 

 tion or from ill-directed efforts to assist, but it is especially 

 liable to take place in the everted, congested and friable 

 organ. The resultant dangers are bleeding from the wound, 

 escape of the bowels through the opening and their fatal in- 

 jury by the mare's feet or otherwise, and peritonitis from 

 the extension of inflammation from the wound and from the 

 poisonous action of the septic liquids of the womb escaping 

 into the abdominal cavity. The first object is to close the 

 wound, but unless in eversion of the womb this is practically 

 impossible. In the last-named condition the wound must be 

 carefully and accurately sewed up before the womb is re- 

 turned. After its return the womb must be injected daily 

 with an antiseptic solution (borax one-half ounce or carbolic 

 acid three drachms to a quart of tepid water). If inflamma- 

 tion threatens the abdomen may be bathed continuously with 

 hot water by means of a heavy woolen rag, and large doses 

 of opium (one-half drachm) may be given twice or thrice 

 xlaily. 



RUPTURES OF THE VAGINA. 



These are attended by dangers similar to those belonging 

 to rupture of the womb, and in addition by the risk of pro- 

 trusion of the bladder, which appears through the lips of 

 the vulva as a red pyriform mass. Sometimes such lacera- 

 tions extend downward into the bladder, and in others up- 

 ward into the terminal gut (rectum). In still other cases the 

 anus is torn so that it forms one common orifice with the 

 vulva. 



Too often such cases prove fatal, -or at least a recovery is 

 not attained, and urine or faeces or both escape freely into 

 the vagina. The simple laceration of the anus is easily 

 sewed up, but the ends of the muscular fibers do not reunite 



