Torsion of the Uterus 699 



which would lead him to suspect serious accident. The animal 

 simply becomes dull, or if colic is present it passes unobserved, 

 and it is not until the torsion has existed for days or even weeks 

 that it has caused a sufficient disturbance to finally attract his 

 attention. This is especially true of those who keep but a few 

 cows and are about them but little. Cows at pasture are often 

 scarcely seen at all, or merely are noticed for a few minutes each 

 day, so that, unless there are very evident symptoms of disease, 

 they pass unseen. In this way, it has been our experience that 

 torsion of the uterus frequently passes unnoticed for a week or 

 two, except that the owner may have recognized the fact that 

 there was something amiss with the animal, though not in his 

 judgment of a sufficiently serious character to call for veterinary 

 attendance. In some cases of uterine torsion, the vulva seems 

 smaller and drawn inward. 



The diagnosis of the accident in the larger animals is com- 

 paratively ea.sy by either vaginal or rectal exploration. Ex- 

 amined per rectum, the anterior part of the vagina and the cer- 

 vix of the uterus appear as a more or less tense, spiral cord, in 

 which the spiral folds of the organ can be somewhat readily felt 

 and the direction in which the torsion has taken place may be 

 determined. 



When the hand is introduced into the vulva, it does not ad- 

 vance far until it comes in contact with the spiral folds in the 

 vaginal walls, which pass in a spiral manner, either to the right 

 or left, obliquely toward the os uteri. In some cases these spiral 

 folds are not very prominent and the vagina is not closed, so 

 that the veterinarian may, without serious difficulty, advance 

 his hand to the os uteri ; sometimes he may be able to pass the 

 cervical canal and reach the cavity of the uterus. 



In severe cases of torsion this cannot be done, but the hand, 

 after following the folds of the vaginal wall in a spiral manner 

 for a time, can be advanced no further. In some cases the hand 

 can barely be introduced to the os uteri, and in others it stops 

 before the mouth of the uterus is reached. 



This condition of the vagina is sufficient in itself to clearly 

 identify the torsion, and renders the diagnosis definite. 



Pathology. The changes taking place in the uterus and its 

 contents, in cases of torsion, must depend very largely upon the 

 extent of the displacement of the organ. In mild cases, where 



