90 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Fatty transformation of the ovaries prevents the evohition of 

 the ova, and fatty deposit in the Fallopian tubes opposes the 

 descent to the womb of such as may be formed. This is above 

 all noticeable among our Shorthorn cattle, and may be prevented 

 or even cured in recent cases by changing the diet and 

 regimen. Captain Davy succeeded in getting such heifers to 

 breed, by turning them out on a bare common with a young 

 bull, or by using them in the plough, and Mr. Webb was 

 equally fortunate with two valuable barren cows, after walking 

 them over one hundred miles to his farm at Babraham. In 

 animals disposed to the production of fat, any excess of hydro- 

 carbonaceous food (oil, starch, sugar) will endanger the breed- 

 ing powers, but curiously enough sugar in man and animals 

 alike has been found to be specially productive of sterility. 



Other diseases of the ovaries or womb besides fatty degenera- 

 tion will destroy fertility. Thus cows with tuberculous deposit 

 in the ovaries, though in continual sexual excitement, and ever 

 ready to receive the male, are incapable of procreation. 



The tendency to barrenness is increased by too close breed- 

 ing, but of this cause I will speak later. 



A female is often sterile, because of a rigid closure of the 

 neck, of the womb, the result of spasmodic contraction or of 

 disease. Mares previously barren have often been rendered 

 fruitful by dilating the neck of the womb by the fingers and 

 thumb drawn into the form of a cone, and passed through the 

 opening just before putting to the horse. If too rigid to be 

 opened in this way it must be incised with a knife fitted into a 

 grooved handle (a bistoury), and the opening maintained 

 pervious by a sponge tent until healing has been completed. In 

 cases of this kind I have experienced the advantage of using 

 the largest female speculum prolonged by a tube of sheet tin. 



It is sometimes advised to allow repeated connection in order 

 to secure conception, and doubtless in the natural state coition 

 is usually repeated a number of times. But as we keep animals 

 in an unnatural state, and have changed their forms and func- 

 tions to serve our own ends, this is no reason why we should 

 not conserve the powers of a valuable male, that we may mul- 

 tiply his value in a more numerous progeny, if one service is 

 found to be sufficient, rather than that we should be wasteful 

 of his powers by squandering them unduly on a limited number 



