GRANULAR VENEREAL DISEASE AND ABORTION IN CATTLE. 49 



1. First pregnancy. Bred May 5, 1911. Inoculated July 6, 1911 (10 c. c. in the 

 jugular vein). Killed January 3, 1912. Uterine seal intact. Maternal and fetal 

 membranes clean and normal. Abortion organism not found. 



2. First pregnancy. Bred April 20, 1911. Inoculated July 6, 1911 (10 c. c. in the 

 jugular vein). Killed November 14, 1911. Over the placenta from the internal os 

 anteriorly for a distance of 10 inches there was a yellowish-white, nonodorous, pasty 

 substance that adhered closely to the placental membrane. This substance was also 

 found in thick rings immediately surrounding the cotyledons. The cotyledons were 

 scarlet. Abortion organism found. 



3. First pregnancy. Bred April 14, 1911. Inoculated July 6, 1911 (10 c. c. in the 

 jugular vein). Killed October 25, 1911. All fetal and maternal structures appeared 

 clean and normal. Abortion organism not found. 



4. Second pregnancy. Inoculated January 30, 1911 (20 c. c. in the jugular vein). 

 Killed August 10, 192 days after inoculation. Uterine seal intact; chorion, uterus, 

 fetal membranes, and fetus normal; chorionic cavity empty. No abortion bacilli 

 recognized microscopically or culturally. 



5. Second pregnancy. Inoculated July 6, 1911 (7 c. c. in the jugular vein). Died 

 August 2, 1911, of generalized tuberculosis. Fetus 5 inches in length. All fetal and 

 genital structures appeared clean and normal. 



6. Second pregnancy. Bred April 1, 1911. Inoculated July 6, 1911 (10 c. c. in 

 the jugular vein). Killed November 6, 1911. All fetal and genital structures clean 

 and healthy. Abortion organism not found. 



It seemed that in these experiments strong evidence was brought 

 forth to indicate that a very cursory, intermittent washing of the 

 vagina of the heifer, guarding the cervical canal against invasion, 

 and of the sheath of the bull prior to breeding exerted a very marked 

 influence upon the question of abortion. The heifers occupied the 

 same field where five adult cows aborted, and had every opportunity 

 to take the infection into the alimentary tract. 



These and other observations compel us to believe also that if, 

 prior to breeding, the granular venereal disease be reduced to a 

 minimum by repeated disinfection, and the cow is then bred to a 

 clean bull, abortion is not probable, even with intravenous inoculation 

 with abortion bacilli and with ample opportunity for natural infection 

 by the alimentary tract or otherwise. 



The amount of the abortion exudate in the uterus varies widely, 

 from the mass 1 inch across at the internal os as recorded in one 

 case by McFadyean and Stockman, to the complete invasion of the 

 utero-chorionic cavity, but apparently abortion follows only in very 

 extensive or complete invasion. 



THE CONTROL OF CONTAGIOUS ABORTION. 



If we accept the belief championed especially by McFadyean and 

 Stockman, that the organisms may invade the uterus at any epoch 

 of pregnancy or before conception, that the chief avenue of infection 

 is the alimentary canal; that as shown by the agglutination and com- 

 plement-fixation tests, the infection is in well nigh every herd; 



