DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 185 



or the impregnated ovum escaping between the ovary and the open 

 end of the tube falls into the abdominal cavity, and becomes adherent 

 to, and draws nourishment from, some of the abdominal organs (womb, 

 bowel, liver, stomach, etc.). 



The symptoms are those of pregnancy, which may be suddenly com- 

 plicated by inflammation (peritonitis), owing to rupture of the sac con- 

 taining the fetus; or at full term signs of calving appear but no prog- 

 ress is made, an examination with the oiled hand in the vagina or 

 rectum finds the womb empty and its mouth closed. Further examina- 

 tion will disclose the fetal sac attached in some part of the abdominal 

 cavity, and containing'the more or less perfectly developed body of a 

 calf. In the most hopeful cases the fetus perishes at an early stage of 

 gestation, becomes inclosed in a fibrous sac, and is slowly absorbed, its 

 soft parts becoming liquefied and removed and the bones remaining 

 encysted. In some cases the bones have finally sloughed into the rec- 

 tum or through an artificial opening in the side of the belly. 



Little can be done in such cases except to quiet pain and excitement 

 by anodynes (opium, chloral, etc.) and leave the rest to nature. A 

 fistula discharging bones may be dilated and the bones extracted, 

 the sac being then washed out with a solution of 10 grains bichloride 

 of mercury in a quart of water. In certain cases with a live calf 

 a skillful operator might be justified in cutting into the abdomen and 

 extracting the calf with its membranes, using the lotion just named as 

 an antiseptic. 



PROLONGED RETENTION OF THE FETUS. 



Even when the fetus has developed within the womb it may fail to 

 be delivered at the proper time; labor pains have quickly subsided and 

 the cow resumed her usual health. In such cases the ealf dies, and its 

 soft parts are gradually liquefied and absorbed, while its bones remain 

 for years in the womb inclosed in the remains of the fetal membranes. 

 These may be expelled at any time through the natural channels, or 

 they may remain indefinitely in the womb, not interfering with the gen- 

 eral health, but preventing conception. 



If the true condition of things is recognized at the time of the sub- 

 sidence of the labor pains, the mouth of the womb may be dilated by 

 the fingers, by the insertion of sponge tents, or by a mechanical dilator 

 (Plate xx, Fig. <>) the fetal membranes may be ruptured and the calf 

 extracted. After the removal of the calf and its membranes the dan 

 ger of putrid ]x>isoning may be obviated by injecting the antiseptic 

 solution advised in the last paragraph. 



ABORTION SLINKING THE CALF. 



Technically, abortion is the term used for the expulsion of the off- 

 spring before it can live out of the womb. Its expulsion after it is 

 capable of an independent existence is premature parturition. In the 



