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evoliitiou of gas iu the intestines (bloating). The presence of stone in 

 tlje liidneys, ureters, bladder, or urethra may induce so much sympa- 

 tlietic disorder in tbe womb as to induce abortion. In exceptional cases 

 wbercin mares come in lieat during gestation service by tbe stallion 

 may cause abortion. Blows or pressure on the abdomen, rapid driving 

 or riding of the pregnant mare, especially if she is soft and out of con- 

 dition from idleness; the brutal use of tbe spur or whip, and the jolting 

 and straining of travel by rail or boat are prolific causes. Bleeding the 

 liregnant mare, a painful surgical operation, and the throwing and con- 

 straint resorted to for an operation are other causes. Traveling on 

 heavy, muddy roads, slips and falls on ice, and jumping must be added. 

 The stimulation of the abdominal organs by a full drink of iced water 

 may precipitate a miscarriage, as may exposure to a cold rain-storm or 

 a very cold night after a warm day. Irritant poisons that act on the 

 urinary or generative organs, such as Spanish flies, rue, savin, tansy, 

 cotton-root bark, ergot of rye or other grasses, the smut of maize and 

 other grain, and various fungi in musty fodder are additional causes. 

 Frosted food, indigestible food, and above all green succulent vegetables 

 in a frozen state have iiroved effective factors, and filthy, stagnant water 

 is dangerous. Low condition in the dam and plethora have in opposite 

 ways caused abortion, and hot relaxing stables and lack of exercise 

 strongly conduce to it. The exhaustion of the sire by too frequent serv- 

 ice, entailing debility of the oflspring and disease of the fojtus or of 

 its envelopes, must be recognized as a further cause. 



The symptoms vary mainly according as the abortion is early or late 

 in pregnancy. In the first month or two of ijregnancy the mare may 

 miscarry without observable symptoms, and the fact only appears by 

 her coming in heat. If more closely observed a small clot of blood may 

 be found behind her, in which a carefnl search reveals the rudiments 

 of the foal. If the occurrence is somewhat later iu gestation there will 

 be some general disturbance, inappetence, neighing, and straining, and 

 the small body of the foetus is expelled, enveloped in its membranes. 

 Abortions during the later stages of pregnancy are attended with 

 greater constitutional disturbance, and the process resembles normal 

 parturition, with the aggravation that more effort and straining is req- 

 uisite to force the foetus through the comparatively undilatable mouth 

 of the womb. There is the swelling of the vulva, with mucus or even 

 bloody discharge ; the abdomen droops, the flanks fall iu, the udder fills, 

 the mare looks at her flanks, paws with the fore feet and kicks with 

 the hind, switches the tail, moves around uneasily, lies down and rises, 

 strains, and, as iu natural foaling, expels first mucus and blood, then 

 the waters, and finally the fcetus. This may occupy an hour or two, or 

 it may be prolonged for a day or more, the symptoms subsiding for a 

 time, only to reappear with renewed energy. If there is malpresenta- 

 tion of the foetus it will hinder progress until rectified, as iu diincult 



