292 Diseases of the Genital Organs 



calves such vulvar discharge has not appeared until after 

 visible infection. 



Up to the date of puberty, or estrum, the nodular venereal 

 disease of heifer calves generally behaves essentially as a 

 dormant malady, without material significance for the im- 

 mediate welfare of the animal (See Fig. 80). Various ob- 

 servers may and do hold divergent views. Numerous cases 

 are viewed by veterinarians as sound because of the mild- 

 ness of the symptoms, but the nodules are there, and, so long 

 as they are admitted as the deciding lesion of the malady, 

 the heifer must be regarded as infected. 



Copulation is the signal for the awakening of the dormant 

 infection, which then behaves like venereal disorders in ani- 

 mals and in man under the stimulus of sexual contact. 

 Within twenty-four hours after copulation, the evidences 

 of sexual irritation are marked. The mucosa becomes scar- 

 let, swollen and tender, and in a large proportion of cases 

 there is a very notable muco-purulent discharge, which ad- 

 heres to the vulvar tuft and soils the under surface of the 

 tail, the skin of the buttocks, and the perineum. Fre- 

 quently the vulvar lips become markedly swollen and edema- 

 tous. If the vulvar lips are parted, the mucosa is seen to 

 be covered with masses of stringy, semi-opaque mucus, or 

 small flakes of muco-pus may be seen resting upon the 

 mucosa. 



After copulation the nodules multiply with astonishing 

 rapidity. Their arrangement in parallel longitudinal rows 

 becomes well marked. They are crowded into close contact 

 with each other upon the summits of the swollen, hypertro- 

 phied, mucous rugae. Frequently they lose their trans- 

 parency and assume a deep red color. In every way the 

 malady assumes a more decisive clinical aspect of important 

 disease. Still, the general health of the heifer is not low- 

 ered. 



The intensity of the symptoms increases for a few days, 

 remains static for a time, and may then recede slightly, 

 but the improvement does not approach the status main- 

 tained prior to copulation. 



