DISEASES FOLLOWING PARTURITION. 263 



may be extracted by using the spring teat dilator (Plate xxiv, Fig. 3) 

 being held surrounded by its three limbs. Before extraction is attempted 

 an ounce of almond oil previously boiled should be injected into the teat. 



TEAT BLOCKED BY CALCULUS. 



When the calcareous matter of the milk has been precipitated in the 

 form of a smooth, rounded stone, a rough conglomerated concretion, 

 or a fine sand-like debris, it may cause obstruction and irritation. 

 These bodies are felt to be much harder than those formed by casein, 

 and the milk usually contains gritty particles. Extraction may be 

 attempted by simple milking in the case of the finely divided gritty 

 matter, or with the spring dilator (Plate xxiv, Fig. 3) in the case of the 

 larger masses. Should this fail the teat may be laid open with the knife 

 and sewed up again or closed with collodion, but such an operation is 

 best deferred until the cow is dry. 



TEAT BLOCKED BY A WARTY OR OTHER GROWTH INSIDE. 



In this case the obstruction may be near the orifice of the teat or 

 higher up, and the solid mass is not movable up and down with the 

 same freedom as are concretions and calculi. The movement is limited 

 by the elasticity of the inner membrane of the teat from which it 

 grows, and is somewhat freer in certain cases because the growth has 

 become loose and hangs by a narrow neck. In the ease of the looser 

 growths they may be snared by a fine spring passed as a loop through 

 a fine tube (like a teat tube open at each end), and introduced into the 

 ti.it. When this can not be done, the only resort is to cut in and excise 

 it while the cow is dry. 



THICKENING OP THE MUCOUS MEMBRANE AND CLOSURE OF THE 



MILK-DUCT. 



As a result of inflammation extending from without in ward, a gradual 

 narrowing of the milk-duct may occur from thickening and narrowing 

 of its lining membrane. This may be limited to a small area near the 

 lower end, or it may extend through the whole length of the teat. 

 The stream of milk becomes liner and liner until it finally ceases alto- 

 gether, and a firm cord is felt running through the teat. If the con- 

 striction is only at the outlet the teat may be seized and distended Im- 

 pressing the milk down into it from above, and an incision may be made 

 with a .-harp penknife in two directions at right angles to each other, 

 and directly in the original opening. The knife should be first cleansed 

 in boiling water. The opening may be kept from closing by a dumb- 

 bell shaped Ixmgie of gutta-percha (Plate xxiv, Fig. "M or by the spring 

 dilator. If the obstruction is more extended it may be perforated by 

 Lathi's jwrforating sound. (Plate xxiv, Fig. la and I/O This is a steel 

 wire with a ring at one end, and at the other is screwed on to the wire 

 a conical cap with sharp cutting edges at the base, which scrapes away 



