58 Veterinary Obstetrics 



front of the opening of the sheath and secured by buckling. In 

 copulation, only that portion of the penis projecting beyond 

 the roll can enter the vagina. 



Non-fatal laceration of the vagina should be handled along 

 general antiseptic lines, the practitioner remembering constantly 

 that this organ reacts strongly to irritants and that thorough dis- 

 infection should be brought about largely by mechanical flushing 

 rather than by heroic attempts to destroy the micro-organisms 

 in po.sition. 



Lacerations of the vulvo- vaginal canal during copulation some- 

 what rarely occur becau.se of pathologic changes due to prior 

 diseases, especially to adhesive inflanunations leading to impor- 

 tant stricture or occulusion. In one instance coming under 

 observation, in a mare, there were old adhesions of the vaginal 

 walls in their anterior portion. An attempt to breed her caused 

 such injury as to lead to violent expulsive efforts, by which she 

 iorced the urinary bladder, covered by the vulvo- vaginal floor, out 

 through the vulvar opening — vcsico-vaginocele — which persisted 

 in spite of trus.ses, sutures and other expedients and was only 

 controlled b}^ producing prolonged and deep anaesthesia with 

 chloral. 



In cows, adhesions of the vaginal parietes may occur as a result 

 of infectious vaginitis and naturally render coition unsafe if not 

 impo.s.sible. 



Lacerations of the vagina by the penis are also liable to occur 

 in other dome.stic animals though less probable than in the mare. 

 Their symptoms, prognosis and treatment are e.s.sentially the 

 same. 



Duranton (Journal de Lyon, 1888 j records a case in which the 

 uterine cornu of a cow was ruptured about 3.5 cm. anterior to 

 the OS uteri, suppo.sedly by the penis of the bull during copula- 

 lation. We consider the record open to question and would 

 think it more probable that the rupture had occurred from other 

 cau.ses. 



Injuries to the bladder by the penis of the male have been 

 recorded, though very rarel}-. Harms, quoting Nebele (Reper- 

 torium) mentions one case in a cow in which the bladder was 

 ruptured owing to the entrance of the penis through the meatus 

 urinarius. The probability of such an accident seems especially 

 remote in the cow becau.se of the small valve arising from the 



