462 BOVINE PATHOLOGY. 



In the latter, impregnation may occur, and the excessive 

 diminution in size of the vaginal passage not be detected 

 until the time of parturition, when it may be necessary even 

 to perform the Caesarian section. In the 'Edinburgh 

 Yeterinary Journal,' vol. ii, p. 283, is given a case in 

 which a hand extended across the os uteri, probably the 

 result of inflammation of the parts. It required to be 

 divided before parturition could be effected. The os uteri 

 may be affected with spasm, but this is not very fre- 

 quent; rigid occlusion of the orifice is more frequently 

 due to STEICTUEE, in which the muscular walls undergo 

 various changes, as the fibrous, and especially the carti- 

 laginous. Then labour pains occur in due course, but do 

 not result in expulsion of the foetus, and on exploration 

 the hard and firmly constricted condition of the os is 

 determined. This state seems sometimes to be hereditary, 

 it may also result from injury. The fingers and thCimb 

 of the hand in the vagina having been approximated, an 

 attempt' is to be made to insert the hand as a wedge 

 through the opening ; this will seldom be accomplished. 

 The instrument suggested for lithecstasy might be 

 tried, or incisions made through the cervix in various 

 directions by means of the concealed bistoury. In cases 

 which resist these means the Caesarian operation must be 

 tried or the patient slaughtered. Sometimes the os is 

 unyielding and incapable of relaxation in consequence of 

 disease of a cancerous or scrofulous nature. These " Soft 

 Steictuees '' of Macgillivray require to be treated by inci- 

 sion, an operation known as vaginal hysterotomy. This may 

 give rise to much haemorrhage, but will not usually do so. 

 When the narrowing of the os is due to spasm, there are 

 generally powerful uterine contractions, and the parts are 

 regular, tender, and somewhat yielding. Antispasmodics 

 may be had recourse to or even the abstraction of blood, 

 manual dilatation, or the lithecstasy apparatus may be 

 tried. Usually the spasm will relax in time. Warm- 

 water vaginal injections are indicated. 



An iMPEEvious STATE OP Os Uteei has been observed, 

 probably it is due to the throwing out of false membranes 



