198 COMMON AILMENTS OF CATTLE 



Bacteriologic Diagnosis. — Microscopically best results may 

 be obtained by examining smears prepared from the stomach and 

 intestines of the foetus soon after abortion. If small cocco- 

 baeilli are present in large numbers, one is quite safe in consid- 

 ering them as abortion bacilli. Cultures made from the stom- 

 ach of the foetus give, in a large percentage of positive cases, 

 cultures of Bacillus abortus. 



Serologic Diagnosis. — The success of serum diagnosis in 

 other diseases induced the various workers in veterinary pathol- 

 ogy and bacteriology to apply the complement-fixation and ag- 

 glutination tests to infectious abortion. The serum method of 

 diagnosis is quite accurate in determining the presence of infec- 

 tious abortion. All heifers or cows affected with abortion form 

 certain substances in their blood known as anti-bodies. By the 

 aid of the complement-fixation or agglutination tests the greater 

 percentage of these cases can be determined. Some cows may 

 give positive reactions to the serum tests, yet not abort. The 

 indication, however, is that they are or have been infected with 

 the Bacillus abortus. Positive reactions in herds where infec- 

 tious abortion is unknown are rare. By the aid of the serum 

 tests one can determine the extent of the disease in a herd. 



Prevention and Treatment. — As no drugs or medicinal 

 agents have thus far been discovered for the cure of this dis- 

 ease the treatment necessarily becomes preventive. In herds 

 where abortion has recently appeared it is advisable to practice 

 isolation of the aborting cows, not allowing them to come in con- 

 tact with healthy cattle until all signs of disease have disap- 

 peared. In cases of retained afterbirth, the same should be 

 removed by the hand within 24 to 48 hours after the abortion. 

 If the afterbirth does not come away readily it should not be 

 forcibly removed but the uterus should be irrigated once daily 

 with a warm disinfectant solution. The irrigation of the vagina 

 and uterus can best be done by using a soft rubber tube, one 

 end of which is introduced into the vagina with a funnel in the 

 outer elevated end. About one gallon of one-fourth or one-half 

 per cent solution of creolin, lysol, liquor cresolis, or a solution 

 of potassium permanganate (1 to 1000 solution) should be 



