168 OBHTETRICAL PHYSIOLOGY. 



ing and want of space should not be allowed, and every Cow, towards 

 the end of gestation, ought to have plenty of room in its stall, if a 

 separate box cannot be allotted. Stables, sheds, and loose-boxes should 

 have wide doors, to prevent injury to the females. With stalls, the 

 floor should slope very little indeed, from before to behind ; as if the 

 inclination is at all marked, the weight of the gravid uterus is thrown 

 backwards, and this may lead to abortion, prolapsus of the vagina, and 

 even eversion of the uterus. The cow- shed ought to be kept very clean 

 and free from bad smells, and have plenty of fresh air. The stalls 

 should have plenty of litter, so as to prevent the Cows soiling them- 

 selves. Should a case of abortion occur in a stable or shed, among 

 pregnant Cows, the one which has aborted ought to be removed at once, 

 and the place it occupied thoroughly cleansed and disinfected, every 

 trace of the accident being most scrupulously obliterated. 



Cows which afford indications of approaching abortion, ought also to 

 be removed from the vicinity of other pregnant animals, and kept apart 

 from them so long as there is any vaginal discharge ; the same precau- 

 tions which must be adopted with regard to thorough disinfection and 

 cleansing, are likewise necessary here. It is not advisable to have 

 Cows bring forth among others whose period of gestation has not 

 arrived. 



The cleanliness of the animals themselves is not to be overlooked ; as 

 neglect of grooming and freeing the skin from dirt must operate per- 

 niciously not only on the mother, but also on the foetus. 



Mental and physical tranquilUti/ are essential conditions of successful 

 gestation. Harsh or ci'uel treatment on the part of grooms, cow-keepers, 

 shepherds, and others, should be sternly suppressed ; and fear, gener- 

 ally produced by young dogs hunting the animals, and particularly 

 pregnant Sheep, is especially to be averted, if possible. It is advisable 

 not to have animals of other species in the same field or pasture with 

 those that are pregnant, more especially towards the period of parturi- 

 tion. 



With an irritable or timid primipara of the larger animals, it is well 

 to be gentle, and to accustom it to manipulation, particularly about the 

 udder, in order that it may the more readily allow its progeny to 

 approach it without danger. 



Surgical operations, and medication in general, should be proscribed, 

 as they may be hurtful during this state, unless they are urgently 

 needed for the cure of disease. Above all, it is necessary to guard 

 against the use of drastic purgatives, or even laxatives, for the relief of 

 constipation which may not exist ; as with some animals these agents, 

 by increasing the peristaltic action of the bowels, indirectly excite con- 

 traction of the uterus. If there is constipation, suitable diet is a safer 

 remedy than purgatives. Powerful narcotic, sedative, and other 

 medicinal agents, if they do not injure the mother, may imperil the 

 life of the foetus. 



We have no sufficiently trustworthy facts to prove that female animals 

 are amenable to those mental influences which, in the human species, 

 and known as " maternal impressions," have such a marked effect on 

 the development or characteristics of the foetus. 



