Actite Metritis in the Cow 88 1 



immediately after the animal succumbs, the decomposition of the 

 genital tract has already advanced to a very marked degree, and 

 involves its peritoneal covering. 



The uterus is usually much thickened, dark colored, and more 

 or less necrotic. The necrosis involves not only the mucous 

 membrane, but the muscular and peritoneal coats, and even adja- 

 cent organs in the abdominal cavity, which have been in imme- 

 diate contact with the diseased organ. In the vulva and vagina 

 there are frequently encountered necrotic patches of a dark, 

 dirty, or greenish color, and the entire tract and its contents 

 are usually very fetid. The quantity of fluid in the uterus may 

 be comparatively small, or may reach several gallons. 



The greatly thickened walls of the uterus are frequently highly 

 emphysematous and very friable. Sometimes shreds of the fetal 

 membranes are .still retained, the cotyledons may be necrotic, 

 and portions of the uterus may be covered with exten.sive dip- 

 theritic membranes. 



The peritoneal covering of the uterus being involved, permit- 

 ting the disea.se to extend thereby to other portions of the 

 peritoneum, causes a more or less voluminous exudate into the 

 peritoneal cavity. Abscesses may exist in the uterine walls, or 

 in the surrounding pelvic connective tissue. 



Whenever metritis is highly viruknt, thrombosis of the neigh- 

 boring vessels is probable, as a result of the infection extending 

 to and involving the veins and lymphatics. Such a condition is 

 greatly favored in metritis, because of the fact that, only a few 

 hours before, the vessels were very large and contained a great 

 volume of blood. The large vessels, which no longer have their 

 previous function to perform, become inactive and vulnerable 

 to infection. The thrombi, breaking down and passing along 

 the blood vessels, tend to cause embolisms in distant parts of the 

 body, such as the lungs and the joints. In the latter position 

 they may produce pyaemic arthritis. 



The general post-mortem appearances of the tissue and organs, 

 other than the genital tract, are those of septicaemia or pyaemia. 

 The blood is dark colored, and does not readily coagulate. The 

 muscles are pale, friable and soft. The liver and kidneys are 

 engorged and soft. The general appearances of the bod^' do not 

 offer any special differences from those observed in death from 

 56 



