222 Veterinary Obstetrics 



years are b^- no means of so harmless a nature as many would 

 have us believe and there is good room for differences of opinion 

 as to its value in many cases. Among these unfavorable results 

 are to be counted severe or fatal hemorrhage, in connection with 

 which it might be urged that, in the castration of cows, the most 

 rigid antiseptic precautions should be observed and that the pre- 

 vention of even the slightest hemorrhage from the ovarial arteries 

 is of very great importance in relation to infection, because any 

 hemorrhage, with the resultant formation of hematoma or blood 

 coagula, tends to favor the development of severe complications, 

 the blood clots serving as a culture medium for bacterial growth. 



Hemorrhage from the ovarian artery also tends to induce 

 ichorous-purulent and sero-fibrous peritonitis, indigestion and 

 gastric catarrh, accompanied often by a permanent reduction 

 of the milk secretion ; also serious phlegmon in the periproctal 

 -vaginal and -vesicular connective tissue, complicated by difficult 

 urination ; abscessation in the stump of the ovarian ligament, with 

 or without rupture into the rectum ; pelvic abscess, with rupture 

 into the vagina or later into the peritoneal cavity ; encapsulated 

 intra-peritoneal abscesses, leading to great emaciation ; cysts 

 as large as the fist forming in an ovarian ligament, leading to 

 emaciation ; as well as incomplete removal of the ovary, leading 

 to the recurrence of cysts and nymphomania. 



Young and old castrated cows in a moderate or good state of 

 nutrition, according to our observations, fatten well ; but when 

 slaughtered the flesh is yellowish, spongy, coarse-grained and 

 not to be called prime in quality, for which cause in this region 

 old, fat castrated cows are not sought after as first-class butchers' 

 stock. It is, however, to be remarked, as we have frequently 

 observed, that thin, castrated cows are largely sold fraudulently 

 as dry, farrow animals. 



II. COLLKCTIONS OF PuS IN THE UTERUS. 



Pyometra. Hydromctra. 



By pyometra or hydrometra we understand the collection of a 

 varying amount of pus or muco-purulent, (pyometra) or sero- 

 niucoid fluid (hydrometra) in the uterus. This is comparatively 

 common in the cow, more rare in the goat, and is accompanied 

 or succeeded by various diseases of the genital organs It oc- 



