214 Diseases of the Genital Organs 



laxative diet during the treatment, until the rupture is 

 quite healed, as it is highly important to guard against ex- 

 tensive sacculation in the part, which can be done only by 

 avoiding the accumulation of feces in it. 



In some instances, the injuries to the rectum from the en- 

 trance into it of the penis are comparatively trivial — merely 

 wounds of the mucosa and part of the muscular walls, 

 with the passage of bloody feces, some swelling about the 

 anus, and other slight symptoms of injury, which readily 

 pass away under repeated antiseptic enemata. 



From a forensic standpoint, the owner of the stallion is 

 probably always responsible, since the accident is preventa- 

 ble with proper care upon the part of the groom. Such were 

 the findings in the only case which I have seen tested in the 

 courts. 



C. Laceration and Rupture of the Vagina 



The vagina, especially of the mare, is not infrequently 

 lacerated or ruptured by the penis of the male. The size of 

 the penis of the stallion does not bear a constant ratio to 

 that of the body, but is comparatively excessive in coarsely 

 bred animals with long legs and large heads. Such stallions, 

 copulating with small mares, constantly tend to produce 

 vaginal injuries. Sometimes it is merely a slight laceration 

 in the mucous membrane, which may cause limited hemor- 

 rhage and some straining; sometimes the lacerations in the 

 mucous and muscular walls are extensive and induce marked 

 symptoms of wound infection in the vagina, with tumefac- 

 tion, discharge and straining; sometimes the vaginal walls 

 are completely ruptured, with great danger of fatal perito- 

 nitis. 



In one instance I investigated, a series of injuries was 

 caused by a recently introduced stallion, which had been put 

 to service among comparatively small mares. Almost every 

 mare served by him exhibited signs of vaginal injury : some 

 were severely lacerated; in one there was a fatal rupture. 

 The horse was found to be an overgrown, coarse, leggy grade 

 draft stallion about eighteen hands high, with an enormous 



