162 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



of the tube, it escapes into the abdomen and perishes. If, on the 

 contrary, the spermatozoa only meet and impregnate the ovum on or 

 in the ovary, the development may take place in the substance of the 

 ovary, from which the fetus draws its nourishment, or the impreg- 

 nated 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.) 



Symptoms. — The symptoms are those of pregnancy, which may 

 be suddenly complicated by inflammation (peritonitis), owing to 

 rupture of the sac containing the fetus; or at full term signs of 

 calving appear, but no progress is made; an examination with the 

 oiled hand in the vagina or rectum finds the womb empty and its 

 mouth closed. Further examination will disclose the fetal sac at- 

 tached in some part of the abdominal cavity and containing the 

 more or less perfectly developed body of a calf. In the most hope- 

 ful cases the fetus perishes at an early stage of gestation, becomes 

 inclosed in a fibrous sac, and is slowly absorbed, its soft parts becom- 

 ing liquefied and removed and the bones remaining encysted. In 

 some cases the bones have finally sloughed into the rectum or through 

 an artificial opening in the side of the belly. 



Treatment. — 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 

 bichlorid of mercury in a quart of water. In certain cases with a 

 live calf a skillful operator may be justified in cutting into the abdo- 

 men 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 calf 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 interfer- 

 ing with the general 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 (PI. XX, fig. 6), the fetal membranes may be ruptured and 

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



