776 Diseases of the Genital Organs 



I have not seen the disease transmitted to mares through 

 copulation, though, clinically, it behaves as an infectious 

 malady and possibly there is danger of transmission to the 

 mare through the vagina. 



The micro-biology of the disease has not been fully de- 

 termined : some attribute it to mematode worms ; others to 

 the presence of a fungus. 



Like bursattee of other parts, it is active in temperate 

 countries only during the hot season and undergoes ap- 

 parent spontaneous recovery upon the advent of winter, to 

 remain dormant until the return of warm weather. Thus 

 it incidentally assumes its greatest activity during the 

 breeding season and interferes seriously with stud duties. 

 Aside from the remote possibility of transmission, it is 

 very noticeable, and owners of mares naturally do not care 

 to breed them to a stallion so evidently diseased. Further- 

 more, the sexual excitement incidental to breeding greatly 

 influences the disease and adds to its virulence : each erec- 

 tion of the penis, with the consequent congestion of the or- 

 gan, causes the bursattee growth to bleed. 



The handling of the disease consists of the destruction or 

 removal of all infected tissues and the avoidance of venereal 

 excitement. If undertaken early, the disease is usually con- 

 fined to the urethral tube, filling it and protruding beyond 

 the navicular fossa, and may extend up higher in the ure- 

 thra. Whatever the extent, the diseased tissues are to be 

 excised or curetted away and the parts well cauterized with 

 silver nitrate or the thermocautery, after which the wound 

 may be dressed with iodoform, which apparently exerts a 

 very beneficial influence upon the course of the disease, 

 should any infection remain. Care is to be taken not to de- 

 nude unnecessarily the urethral meatus of its entire mucosa, 

 since urethral stricture may result, necessitating penial am- 

 putation. If the pathologic growth involves the entire cir- 

 cumference of the meatus, the risk of stricture must be 

 deliberately faced with the assurance that, if stricture fol- 

 lows, amputation may be made without interfering with the 

 breeding value of the stallion. The method of amputation 

 has already been described. 



