546 Diseases of the Genital Organs 



posite ovary and conceive. Pituitary extract might act 

 favorably, given hypodermically in small doses. As a final 

 resort laparotomy may be performed upon the involved 

 side, the affected horn lifted out and incised, and the clot 

 mechanically removed. Or one may amputate the involved 

 horn with the ovary and for breeding rely upon the remain- 

 ing horn. 



B. Puerperal Endometritis 



Puerperal endometritis, as here used, signifies a type of 

 metritis in which the endometrium or uterine mucosa is 

 most prominently involved. Infection within the uterine 

 cavity presents illimitable variations in its course and mani- 

 festations, and it is impossible to group the various types of 

 puerperal uterine infections so that each class shall be 

 clearly and definitely separated from the others. It is es- 

 sential that the variations be grouped in a general manner 

 in order to facilitate description, but necessarily some cases 

 will be met upon the border line between any two groups, 

 which may with equal logic be placed in either one. Any 

 given case may also, by either progression or retrogression, 

 shift from one group to another. 



The effect of intra-uterine infection is not limited to the 

 endometrium. Whenever such infection is activated by the 

 disturbances incident to the termination of pregnancy (just 

 as holds true of intra-uterine infection during pregnancy), 

 the changes can not be definitely confined to the endome- 

 trium, but involve the muscular walls of the organ, caus- 

 ing paresis, and frequently also involve the serosa. Conse- 

 quently the term "endometritis," if taken literally, is a mis- 

 nomer. It may be said to be the simplest and most primitive 

 type of metritis. Generally speaking it is out of endometri- 

 tis that the more severe and critical forms of metritis de- 

 velop. Sometimes the metritis of pregnancy lias passed be- 

 yond the stage designated as endometritis before pregnancy 

 terminates, sometimes the progress of the infection is so 

 rapid that no stage is clinically recognizable as endometritis. 



A pregnant heifer or cow doomed to abort, to calve pre- 

 maturely, or to have retention of the fetal membranes has 

 in her uterus an endometritis which inevitably persists into. 



