536 Diseases of the Genital Organs 



Clean up premises." It was held in the circular that if 

 breeders and dairymen generally would conscientiously and 

 vigorously apply the advice contained in a bulletin soon to 

 appear, "contagious abortion" would be eliminated or con- 

 trolled. 



In 1917 there appeared from the same source a bulle- 

 tin which was apparently an amplification of the pre- 

 ceding circular. Among other recommendations the bul- 

 letin advises that the aborter be isolated and that her 

 uterus be irrigated daily with antiseptics. "Lugol's so- 

 lution in a strength of 2 per cent, has been found to 

 be desirable as a uterine douche. It is not permitted 

 to remain in the uterus but is flushed out with salt so- 

 lution." The bulletin was, of course, designed for, and sent 

 to, laymen who do not know the uterus from the vagina, 

 cervix, or oviducts. If the afterbirth is retained, neither 

 the layman nor the skilled veterinarian can possibly douche 

 the uterus, because it is everywhere covered by the chorion. 

 If the afterbirth has come away from the aborter, the entire 

 endometrium is denuded of epithelium. The introduction 

 of 2 per cent. Lugol's solution into such a uterus is a pro- 

 fessional crime. It will kill or ruin sexually a large propor- 

 tion of cows, and injure all. Fortunately most laymen in- 

 troduce antiseptics into the vagina only, from which they 

 are sometimes ejected before material harm has resulted. 

 I have had an opportunity to study a group of 27 aborters, 

 purebred beef cattle of great value, to which a layman had 

 attempted to apply these recommendations. Of the 27 ani- 

 mals, 12 (44.4 per cent.) have atresia of the vagina, unques- 

 tionably due to the treatment. Two of these twelve (16.7 per 

 cent.) are again pregnant after about one year. Each has a 

 severely constricted vagina and will apparently have great, 

 if not insuperable difficulties at calving time. Six of the re- 

 maining animals may possibly (but very improbably) con- 

 ceive, with the probability that they cannot calve success- 

 fully. The other four of the twelve are hopeless because of 

 the vaginal atresia and must go to slaughter. In two of the 

 four the vaginal atresia is so complete that mucus is re- 



