Infections of the Gravid Uterus 465 



or greenish-brown exudate of an extremely viscid, sticky 

 character covers the non-placental portions of the uterine 

 mucosa and the chorion. The fetus may be apparently 

 healthy. In other instances the fetus shows evidences of 

 having long been dead. The fetal and maternal placentae 

 have separated and the fetal membranes are necrotic, soft, 

 and non-resistant. The fetus is soft and only faintly odor- 

 ous. The uterus is edematous, flaccid, and paretic. The 

 utero-chorionic space is occupied by dirty, grayish, floccu- 

 lent exudate. There is little evidence of any tendency to 

 expel the fetus. 



Clinical observations appear parallel to those of the abat- 

 toir. In my companion volume'^ I have held that most dys- 

 tocia in cows is due to a uterine atony dependent upon intra- 

 uterine infection in which the fetus participates. Whether 

 the fetus be alive or dead, the uterus contracts feebly, caus- 

 ing tardy dilation of the cervical canal and delayed expul- 

 sion of the fetus. Preceding, accompanying, or following 

 the expulsion of the fetus, an exudate in varying amounts 

 is expelled by the uterus. The fetus may perish, to undergo 

 later maceration or emphysema. This type of metritis of 

 pregnancy is usually not diagnosed clinically until its pres- 

 ence is revealed by the advent of dystocia. Its handling 

 then logically falls within obstetrics, where it has already 

 been considered. After the dystocia has been overcome, the 

 metritis is to be handled as advised under "Diseases of the 

 Puerperal Uterus." 



C. Cervical Endometritis 



Cervical endometritis, which constitutes the essential 

 basis in the phenomenon of abortion, is the primary lesion 

 which finally arouses contractions of the ovarian end of the 

 uterus with the expulsion of the uterine contents. Less 

 frequent than apical endometritis, it plays a larger role in 

 interfering with reproduction. Cervical endometritis con- 

 sists of an ascending or centripetal infection advancing 

 from the cervical toward the ovarian end of the uterus. In 



1 Veterinary Obstetrics, 1917- 30 



