1098 Veterinary Obstetrics 



peral state, the affected animals show definite and easily recogni- 

 zable lesions. 



Pathology. The bacteriology has been extensively studied 

 by Ostertag' and other European investigators. Ostertag found 

 a diplococcus or short streptococcus, which he grew in pure cult- 

 ures, and injected into the vaginae of healthy heifers, inducing 

 the symptoms of the disease. He recovered pure cultures of the 

 organisms from the vulvar discharges of the diseased animals. 

 The organism grows readily in glycerine agar, urine agar, and 

 other neutral or alkaline media. It stains with most aniline 

 bases, especially with methyline blue. 



The organisms are found in the muco-purulent discharges, be- 

 tween the pus cells or within the protoplasm of these. They are 

 able to penetrate the vaginal mucosa, and are found between the 

 epithelial cells, as well as in the mucous pappillae, a fact which 

 explains the great tenacity of the infection and the difficult}^ of 

 curing it. 



While transmission experiments on healthy female cattle suc- 

 ceeded, attempts to transmit the malady to horses, sheep, swine, 

 goats, rabbits and Guinea-pigs were negative. Ostertag also at- 

 tempted to transmit the disease to a bull, but failed to induce 

 visible symptoms, and concludes that the bull does not become 

 affected with the malady. This is in conflict with our observa- 

 tions, since the breeding bulls in Herd 2 showed in some cases a 

 distinct preputial catarrh. When the penis was exposed for copu- 

 lation, it seemed swollen and deeply injected, and showed very 

 niarked ecchymotic areas at the preputial ring. We believed, 

 also, that we saw granules similar to those in the vulvae of the 

 cows, but the opportunity for deliberate inspection was not 

 present. 



Ostertag found the organisms in the uterus of one cow, while 

 in others he failed to find the cocci beyond the vagina, and con- 

 cludes that it may persist in the vagina month after month, 

 without invading the uterine cavity. 



For three months Ostertag handled one artificially infected 

 heifer with alum and tannin (1-5% solution) and Lysol and Cre- 

 oline()^-i%) without results. Ostertag regards the disease, 

 from his observation, as a very serious malady. Out of 250 ani- 



' Monatshefte fiir Praktische Thierheilkunde, 1901, p. 536. 



