Pyometra 225 



quent introduction through it into the uterus of the douching 

 tube, is accompanied by enormous difficulty and great loss of 

 time. 



The therapeutics of the malady is not faciliated, either, by the 

 fact that, after the completion of the first dilation, there follows 

 several hours of severe straining and pressing, with loss of appe- 

 tite, which leads the owner to become dissatisfied and desist from 

 further treatment. 



With a view to facilitating the dilation of the cervical canal 

 and rendering it easy, as well as avoiding the afterstraining, irri- 

 gation of the vagina with water warmed to 39 ° C. is recom- 

 mended before and during the mechanical operation. The evac- 

 uation of the pus is brought about by depressing the funnel 

 attached to the end of the rubber tubing, which acts as a siphon. 

 Now and then, though very rarely, one evacuation followed 

 by flushing with lukewarm water suffices to bring about recovery 

 and cause the recurrence of estrum. 



The treatment employed by us consists of the pressing out of 

 the corpora lutea and the per rectum stroking or massage of the 

 uterus from before to behind. As already related, the elimina- 

 tion of the yellow body is only practicable when the uterus con- 

 tains only a few liters of pus, that is, so long as the ovaries can 

 be grasped and fixed per rectum. The detachment of the yellow 

 bodies is brought about by compression through the rectum or 

 vagina. The ovary is grasped between the volar surfaces of the 

 thumb and two fingers or between the thumb, index and middle 

 fingers and thus compressed. In old standing cases of pyometra — 

 when the animal is irritable and strains violently, the rectum is 

 very tense, and the corpora lutea are not very large or prominent 

 and are solidly bound by connective tissue, that is, almost com- 

 pletely encapsulated — the operation becomes very difficult, in 

 which case it is our practice to not press out the yellow bodies, 

 but to vigorously massage and rub the ovary between the fingers. 

 If a voluminous collection exists in the uterus and, in spite of 

 drawing it backwards, the ovaries cannot be brought in reach, 

 the cow should be at once fed for early slaughter. 



After dislodgement of the corpus luteum, contraction of the 

 uterus follows, the os uteri opens from before backward and the 

 uterine contents are evacuated ; in approximately 18-72 hours 

 15 



