974 Veterinary Obstetrics 



in the sub-maxillary glands or elsewhere, so that the practitioner 

 is forewarned as to the character of the disease. 



The chief significance of strangles abscess in the mammary 

 gland of the mare is in relation to the health of the foal. -In our 

 experience, when a young foal takes milk from a mare which, is 

 suffering from strangles, and especially when the strangles affects 

 the udder itself in the form of abscesses, the malady has an 

 unusual virulence for the foal, and it is very liable to perish. 



The handling of strangles of the mammary gland demands 

 the same general measures as in other cases of strangles, in so far 

 as the mare is concerned. The abscesses should be opened early, 

 and the animal should receive internally reliable antiseptics, 

 especially large doses of potassium iodide, in order to 'overcome 

 the infection as early as possible. 



The foal should be removed from the mare, and fed upon milk 

 from a healthy mare or from a cow, and should receive some 

 preventive treatment, such as the administration of potassium 

 iodide in its milk, in order if possible to decrease the severity of 

 the attack, which must almost inevitably occur. 



8. BOTRYOMYCOSIS OF THE UdDER. 



There occurs occasionally in the mare a chronic, indurative 

 inflammation of the milk gland, which is characterized by a very 

 tense and hard enlargement of the udder, with chronic fistulae 

 and small recurrent abscesses. It is claimed to be due to a 

 special form of micro-organism, known as the botryomyces equi 

 or micrococcus ascoformans. Some pathologists claim that this 

 micro-organism is simply one of the pus-forming organisms, and 

 that the peculiar characters of disease resulting from it, the new 

 formation of sclerotic connective tissue, the formation of abscess 

 and fistula are due, not to the special form of the agent causing 

 it, but to the peculiarities of the tissues of the animal itself. 

 The general character of botryomycosis of the udder of the mare 

 is analogous in all respects to that of botryomycosis of other tis- 

 sues and organs of the horse. 



Symptoms. The symptoms of botryomycosis of the udder in 

 the mare are generally well developed before they attract any at- 

 tention. The disease may occur in an animal which is nursing a 

 foal, or in one which has been dry for montlis or years, or possibly 

 has never bred. It is usually first observed by the owner when the 



