580 ACCIDENTS AFTER PAIITUFJTIOX. 



organ, and become invaginated in the inverted sac. Funk also men- 

 tions the case of a Bitch in which one of the cornua became inverted, 

 and prevented the expulsion of the remaining fcetuses fi'om the other 

 cornu ; this necessitated the performance of the Cgesarian section. 



Ayrault has, on three occasions, encountered an unusual complication 

 after reduction of the prolapsed organ, in the form of severe lameness, 

 with knuckling over of the two hind-fetlock joints, but without any 

 articular swelling. This complication disappeared as the animals 

 recovered from the effects of inversion. 



Frofjnosis. 



There can scarcely be any doubt that, if no assistance is rendered to 

 an animal suffering from prolapsus uteri, death must ensue, and more 

 or less speedily ; as gangi'ene is inevitable, while spontaneous reduction 

 is impossible. 



In some instances death occurs in less than twenty-four hours, but 

 most frequently the animal may live from three to five days — very 

 rarely longer. Sabini,^ an Italian veterinarian, cites a case in which 

 treatment was not adopted until the seventh day ; but this is an alto- 

 gether exceptional instance. 



Inversion of the uterus is generally fatal when owners of animals 

 have neglected to procure assistance until too late, or who employ 

 ignorant people to attempt reduction. If attended to sufficiently early 

 by those who are competent, the number of recoveries is considerable, 

 and perhaps in no other pathological condition is the utility and power 

 of art, when invoked at the proper time, better demonstrated. 



The prognosis is not equally favourable, however, in all the domesti- 

 cated animals ; and between the Mare and Cow, for instance, the 

 difference is considerable. 



With regard to the latter animal, Deneubourg, who has often had to 

 treat this accident, never lost one of his patients. In 100 cases, 

 Donnarieix has only had 3 deaths. Moens, in 27 cases, has not had a 

 fatal termination. Guillaume, cited by Gelle, lost 3 cases out of 42 ; 

 Loyer of Nemours, 9 out of 27 ; and Mazure, Holland, 1 in 4. 



"With regard to the Mare, Donnarieix had 8 cases, and all perished ; 

 Cruzel had 3, and they also succumbed ; Schaack only saved 1 

 of 2. 



In 268 cases of prolapsus uteri in the Cow, collected by Saint-CjT, 

 there were 35 deaths — or a mortality of 12 per cent. For the Mare 

 he only found 25 cases, and of these 17 were fatal — a mortality of 

 68 per cent. 



A number of authorities quoted by Zundel- give the percentage of 

 recoveries in the Cow as 97, and in the Mare as 50. 



It would, therefore, appear, and it is no doubt true, that this acci- 

 dent is much more fatal in the Mare than in the Cow. 



Inversion in the Sow is nearly always fatal, and often within twenty- 

 four hours, unless amputation of the uterus is resorted to ; but the 

 Bitch will live, in very rare cases, for two, three, or four days with the 

 uterus prolapsed. 



It has often been stated that inversion of the uterus leads to infe- 

 cundity ; but though it may do so in some instances, yet this cannot be 



1 Journal des Vet6r%naires du Midi, 1869, p. 175. 



* Dictionnaire de Med., de Chirurg. et d' Hygiene F^terinaires, vol. iii., Art. "Uterus. 



