170 Diseases of the Genital Organs 



vagina. As soon as the vagina becomes fully distended, 

 discomfort and pain result, causing colicky symptoms and 

 expulsive efforts. During the expulsive efforts the hymen 

 may be forced back into the vulva and become visible be- 

 tween the vulvar lips. Palpation reveals a tense, mem- 

 branous wall retaining a liquid beyond. On the floor of the 

 passage, the membrane is attached just anterior to (on the 

 ovarian side of) the meatus urinarius. The attachment of 

 the membrane to the walls can be traced completely around 

 the genital passage. Per rectum, the vagina is readily pal- 

 pable as an elongated sac firmly distended with fluid. In 

 the one heifer which I observed, both uterus and vagina 

 were distended greatly with thin pus. This caused much 

 pain, with constant straining and loss of flesh. It is quite 

 probable that the infection was carried to the genital tract 

 by the blood early in the heifer's life and remained dormant 

 until menstrual debris collected, when suppuration promptly 

 ensued. The handling consists of the surgical destruction 

 of the membrane, which should be punctured approximately 

 in the center with a scalpel and the opening thus made ex- 

 tended by cutting or tearing to a sufficient degree. It is 

 especially important to extend the opening in the membrane 

 downward to the floor of the passage, since otherwise it 

 may serve to form a cul-de-sac leading to the retention and 

 decomposition of discharges, thus keeping a pool of in- 

 fected debris about the os uteri externum, interfering with 

 conception. 



When persistent hymen becomes a race characteristic, as 

 in the "white heifer disease" of England, it would appear 

 best to eliminate the defect by careful selection. 



Imperforate hymen in the mare is apparently very rare. 

 There occur a few rather vague descriptions of imperforate 

 hymen in the mare from which the actual facts are unob- 

 tainable. There occur in literature statements that in the 

 pregnant heifer and filly imperforate hymen may exist at 

 the time of parturition. Evidently that is impossible. A 

 remnant of the hymen sufficient to complicate parturition 

 may persist, but copulation cannot occur and leave the mem- 

 brane imperforate. When imperforate, a distension of the 



