484 Diseases of the ^Genital Organs 



same difficulties face the veterinarian when he attempts to 

 bring about the expulsion by the administration of pituitary 

 extract. The contractions of the uterus can be induced, 

 but they fail to evacuate its contents. I have removed the 

 skeletal debris by hysterotomy, but the operation was diffi- 

 cult and the result was failure. Possibly farther efforts at 

 hysterotomy, or rather hysterectomy, may develop a practi- 

 cal technic associated with success. From my experience I 

 believe the more hopeful plan to be the amputation of the 

 involved horn with its oviduct and ovary, leaving repro- 

 duction to the other horn and ovary, which may have 

 escaped hopeless injury. When this is undertaken, great 

 care must be exercised to avoid the escape of any of the 

 uterine contents into the peritoneal cavity. The abdominal 

 incision must be made upon the involved side as far poste- 

 rior as practicable upon the middle line of the flank. That 

 is, the abdominal incision must be made as near to the uter- 

 ine attachments as possible. Even then, it is difficult to lift 

 the involved uterine horn out through the wound, and vir- 

 tually impossible to operate within the abdomen. 



Attempts at handling with a view to the restoration of 

 breeding should not be undertaken except in animals of 

 great value. Others should be prepared for slaughter by 

 the most economic source. Where there is old-established 

 maceration of the fetus, the animal is frequently in good 

 beef condition and the repulsive skeletal cadaver is so walled 

 off that there is no logical objection to the use of the meat as 

 human food. The uterus should be regarded as an abscess 

 cavity. 



(b) Abscessation of the gravid uterus occurs when the 

 fetus macerates and the cervical canal undergoes atresia to 

 such a degree as to prevent the escape of pus through the 

 genital passage. The occlusion of the cervical canal occurs 

 by two distinct processes. 



(1) Abscessation of the uterus, with fetal retention, oc- 

 curs when the fetus dies and the cervical canal becomes 

 closed as a result of severe cervicitis. The occurrence is at 

 first without notable clinical symptoms. The animal has 



