General Infections of the Genitalia of Horses 78 1 



except in some cases for the navel lesions themselves, is not 

 clinically nor bacteriologically differentiate from the arth- 

 ritis caused by the fetus swallowing the infection emanat- 

 ing from the utero-chorionic space, or by the new-born swal- 

 lowing infection in its food. 



Unlike the specific venereal diseases mentioned, the gen- 

 eral infections are commonly present in the genital organs 

 and elsewhere, their number is unknown, and their lesions 

 are alike. The lesions in the uterus and fetus attributed to 

 the B. abortus (Bang) can not be distinguished from those 

 of the spirillum of Smith, the bacillus of Moussu, or the 

 B. abortivo-equinus of Good. Each of these is believed to be 

 capable of living and multiplying in the genital organs of 

 an extended list of mammals. 



As in bulls, when genital infections in stallions become 

 severe and produce clinically recognizable lesions, they often 

 lose their peril for the female because the spermatic ducts 

 are blocked by the lesions and the infection imprisoned. The 

 infections of the genitalia, therefore, which are recognizable 

 only by a microscopic study of the spermatozoa, bacterial 

 search of the semen, or a bio-histologic study of the ovaries 

 or oviducts, are of far greater importance economically 

 than the more readily recognizable lesions. The clinically 

 recognizable lesions of the genitalia of horses are varied 

 and not rare. 



