62 2 Diseases of the Genital Organs 



following abortion, in which the location of the endometritis 

 is stated, the abortion-causing metritis has radiated from 

 the cervical end of the uterus. This has been illustrated in 

 Fig. 174 and in colored Plates III and IV. Clinically there 

 is found an unsealed cervical canal with pronounced cervi- 

 citis and the embryonic sac necrotic at its cervical end. 



Cervicitis is not an absolute barrier to pregnancy even 

 when severe. It is not rare to find severe cervicitis, with 

 engorged, angry-red and swollen mucosa, when the animal 

 is pregnant and to all appearances safe. In three instances 

 I have observed purulent cervicitis at the vaginal end with 

 copious suppuration and with a pint or two of fetid pus in 

 the vagina, though the cow was pregnant and calved suc- 

 cessfully. But in such cases the suppuration was confined 

 to the vaginal end of the cervix while the uterine end was 

 successfully resisting the threatened invasion and the an- 

 terior end of the canal was securely sealed. 



Cervicitis is seen in cows of all ages. Severe cervicitis 

 with great cervical hypertrophy often abates; the cervix 

 retains its hypertrophy, but the inflammation ceases and the 

 cow breeds safely. 



The handling of cervicitis is essentially a problem in dis- 

 infection. As in wound infection, so in cervical infection, 

 the best results demand prompt and skillful handling. The 

 inevitable cervicitis of retained fetal membranes and other 

 forms of metritis accompanied by suppuration should be 

 given careful attention during the puerperal period, and 

 the disease not permitted to persist into the post-puerperal 

 era. At this time the chief weapon against the cervicitis is 

 the removal of the source of the irritation by properly 

 handling the metritis. The same is true of many cases of 

 cervicitis existing at other periods: if uterine disease is 

 present, its control must precede the direct handling of the 

 malady. 



In the milder types of disease, if 2 per cent, of Lugol's so- 

 lution is used to douche the uterus, the remnant of the fluid 

 left in the cavity trickles out through the cervical canal, and 

 in many cases suffices to disinfect it. It is inadvisable to 



