PARTIAL RETENTION OF SECUNDINES 97 



makes it possible for persons who have exposed them- 

 selves to infection by handling the animal or who have 

 been bitten, to act according to the findings. Either 

 they should submit themselves to the Pasteur treat- 

 ment at once or, if the diagnosis is negative, ''forget 

 it/' Where there are no laboratory facilities, to de- 

 stroy the animal before the disease has developed 

 fully, so that it can be diagnosed clinically, is a display 

 of poor judgment. 



EFFECTS OF PARTIAL RETENTION OF 

 - SECUNDINES 



When a considerable portion of the fetal envelopes 

 is permanently retained in the uterus of the cow patho- 

 logical conditions of various forms develop. 



A portion of the after-birth may be retained in the 

 uterus when the cow apparently ''cleans" in a normal 

 manner. In other instances portions of the membranes 

 are left in the uterus when the after-birth is extracted 

 manually by inexperienced persons, or even by veteri- 

 narians. 



The custom of attaching w^eights to the protruding 

 portion of the after-birth with the object of hastening 

 its expulsion usually results in only partial removal 

 of the membranes and the retention of a greater or 

 less amount thereof. 



The most frequent results of a partial retention of 

 the secundines are the following: 



1. Uterine Catarrh. 



2. Cachexia. 



3. Pyo-metra. 



4. Sterility. 



