Infectious Abortio7i of Mares 483 



The course of infectious abortion in the mare is usually very 

 rapid and unevefftful, in close correspondence with normal par- 

 turition. The fetus is quickly expelled when labor pains appear 

 and, if the abortion occurs comparatively early during gestation, 

 the fetus is expelled completely enclosed in its chorion. Later in 

 gestation the chorion, and sometimes the amnion, ruptures as in 

 normal parturition and the expulsion of the fetus is accompanied 

 by more evidence of labor. The fetus does not always present 

 in a normal manner, but there are frequent deviations of the head 

 and limbs. In case of anterior presentation, the head is very 

 likely to be turned to one side and one or both anterior limbs 

 may be more or less retained. In presenting posteriorly, the 

 breech presentation is very common. These vicious presenta- 

 tions are not serious obstacles to expulsion up to the 8th or 9th 

 month, but during the loth and nth months may bring about 

 light dystokia. However, unless gestation has been virtually com- 

 pleted, the dystokia is readily overcome by the veterinarian and 

 the fetus easily extracted. After its extraction, ii. cases where 

 the abortion occurs late in pregnancy, there is a marked tendency 

 to retention of the chorion ; whereas, as we have previously 

 stated, if abortion occurs early, the fetus is probably expelled in 

 its chorion. 



The sequalse of abortion in the the mare are numerous and 

 frequently serious in character. They depend largely upon the 

 period of gestation at which the abortion occurs, as is very well 

 shown by three tables which Guillerey submits in the article 

 which we have quoted. In his first table, in case of an outbreak 

 of infectious abortion, he relates 17 cases, each of which were 

 followed by more or less serious sequelae, including the reten- 

 tion of the placenta, metritis, metro-peritonitis, tendinitis, syno- 

 vitis, arthritis, lympho-phlebitis, mamniitis, vaginitis and para- 

 plegia. Most of these cases occurred after the loth month of 

 pregnancy, and the shortest duration of pregnancy was seven 

 months. In his second table, where the duration of pregnancy 

 varied from the fourth to the seventh month, the sequelae were 

 unimportant and virtually absent, whereas, in his third table, 

 where the period of gestation ranged from the seventh to the 

 ninth and exceptionall}' the tenth month, the sequelae occupied 

 a middle position between the other two tables. 



