37 



vagina of the female with sterile saline solution before breeding. 

 Samples of vaginal mucus were taken before service, and the flora 

 compared to that after douching. This method of douching pro- 

 duced vaginal samples relatively free from bacteria, at least so 

 much so that the post coital fluid demonstrated that many organ- 

 isms must have been introduced from without. AA^hether or not 

 they came in with the semen is problematical, but in all probability 

 this was the method of introduction. 



I have so far failed to obtain Bad. ahortum from the tract of an 

 adult animal, either by direct culture or guinea pig inoculation, 

 except from the testicle of one abattoir bull. The agglutination 

 tests with Bad. ahortum antigen were all negative, except for tAvo 

 abattoir bulls. The results so far obtained would seem to indicate 

 that, in accordance with the findings of other workers, the Bang 

 organism seldom invades the male genital tract, or does not thrive 

 there after its introduction. Schroeder (12) and others, have, 

 however, on various occasions, recovered the organism from the 

 bull, and the former author even states that it invades the vesicles 

 and is eliminated with the semen. 



Discussion 



A complete discussion of those factors which have a bearing on 

 reproduction and fertility in an animal, includes not only a 

 thorough study of the genital tract, but an appreciative considera- 

 tion of various extrinsic factors. The effect of environment has 

 long been known to have a marked influence upon breeding, par- 

 ticularly Avith reference to animals in domestication. Diet, though 

 long relegated to a minor phase of the question, has, Avithin recent 

 years, come to be a matter of prime importance AA'ith regard to its 

 bearing upon the entire body metabolism. The endocrine organs 

 preside over and regulate the gi'owth and functioning of the geni- 

 tal organs from the earliest embryonic stage to the cessation of 

 sexual life. Any derangement in one results in functional or 

 organic changes in the other. In a given mating, aa^c must take 

 into consideration such factors as impediments to coitus, as well 

 as those numerous agencies in the female AA^hieh may interfere with 

 the union of sperm and OAaim, or AA'ith the successful implantation 

 of the fertilized eg^^ in the uterus, and its groAvth and deA^elop- 

 ment there till normal parturition takes place. Successful repro- 

 duction depends upon the mating of sexually sound females to 

 equally sound males. Considering the A^arious factors AA-hich gov- 

 ern reproduction, sexual soundness must necessarily depend, to 

 a large extent, upon a good general condition of the entire body. 



ExA'iRONMENT: The effeet of environment on fertility in the 

 bull is no doubt a minor factor. Cases in Avhich changes in en- 

 vironment affect fertility probal)ly occur, liOAvcA-er, particularly 

 when fear and other psychic disturbances play a part. Marshill 

 (29) states: "Tt Avould seem probable that failure to breed 

 among animals in a strange enA'ironment is due not, as has been 



