Metritis 249 



a var^-ing significance for the fertility of the animal. The chief 

 varities to be considered are : 



a. Acute metritis occurring in all species of animals, follow- 

 ing closely upon parturition or abortion and resulting from infec- 

 tion entering the uterus as a result of manipulations during 

 parturition, or from retained, decomposing afterbirth or related 

 causes. The malady is necessarily considered later among the 

 " Puerperal Infections ", to which the reader is referred. 



b. Chronic metritis, pyometra or myxometra. — Chronic 

 purulent metritis (pyometra) and muco-purulent metritis (myx- 

 ometra), as related to ovarian disease, have already received con- 

 sideration on page 222. and need not be repeated here. 



These affections occasionally follow parturition, especially 

 when accompanied bj- dystocia, or when parturition is succeeded 

 by retention of the fetal membranes. This type, like acute' 

 metritis, is necessarily considered among " Puerperal Infections " 

 and, accordingly, need not be repeated here. 



c. Chronic metritis, or pyometra, also occurs in non-breeding 

 females, so far as we know, wholly independent of ovarian disease 

 and non-puerperal in character, as it maj- appear in an animal 

 which has never bred or in one which has not recentlj- bred. 

 This type of ca.ses is so like those in the preceding class in 

 symptoms, progno.sis and handling that they may be most profit- 

 ably and concisely dealt with in the same chapter. 



Closely allied to chronic metritis, also, is " Uterine Ab- 

 scess," which, following usually some puerperal infection, is 

 naturally dealt with in that group. 



All these forms of disease inevitabl}^ cause, during their course, 

 sterility, which may be rendered permanent by the changes re- 

 sulting in the organs involved. Salpingitis, pyosalpinx and 

 occlusion of the oviducts are constantly threatened in the course 

 of these maladies, while ulcerations and erosions of the uterine 

 mucosa may lead to adhesions between the uterine walls and ob- 

 literation of the cavity of the cornua, uterine body or cervix. 

 But such is not always true. The author recalls delivering a 

 cow after ten days of dystocia, with a badly decomposed fetus, 

 intense metritis and enormously thickened uterine walls. A few 

 months later she conceived. 



Since all these forms of disease have been, or will be, con- 

 sidered in other chapters, it suffices to mention them here as 



