8o2 Diseases of the Genital Organs 



the mare is evidently in great distress, she lies down most 

 of the time, her appetite is poor or absent, and her pulse 

 weak, though her temperature not markedly elevated, prob- 

 ably because of relaxation of the anal sphincter which ad- 

 mits air about the thermometer. There may be an involun- 

 tary escape of a thin, flaky, dirty grayish pus, flecked with 

 blood from the vulva. Manual exploration of the uterus re- 

 veals a paretic organ containing three or four quarts to as 

 many gallons of thin, dirty gray pus, sometimes almost 

 odorless, and sometimes fetid. Somewhere floating in the 

 mass or still lying in the non-gravid cornu may be found the 

 necrotic, putrefying fragment of chorion. If compelled to 

 stand, the mare- exhibits the clinical picture of laminitis 

 (puerperal laminitis) with tenderness of the abdomen upon 

 pressure. The localized endometritis has suddenly devel- 

 oped into an intense generalized endometritis with severe 

 laminitis. 



The veterinarian in charge of valuable brood mares should 

 either have the fetal membranes of each mare laid aside for 

 his prompt inspection, or should teach the caretaker how to 

 inspect the membranes and determine if all has come away. 

 If the non-gravid prolongation is vvanting, it should be re- 

 moved manually very promptly, the uterus douched with 

 salt solution, and iodoform-bismuth-oil introduced. This 

 will generally prevent the development of severe endometri- 

 tis and laminitis. 



If such precautions are not taken and the intense disease 

 has developed, the necrotic fragment is to be removed if 

 found, the pus douched and siphoned from the uterus, and 

 the iodoform-bismuth-oil introduced ( i/o to 1 oz. each of bis- 

 muth and iodoform in one quart of olive or salad oil or of 

 liquid paraffin). The treatment should be repeated often 

 enough to prevent large accumulations in the uterus. The 

 laminitis must have earnest attention. If the animal can 

 stand without great pain or fatigue, she may be placed in a 

 flowing stream of cool water or stood in an improvised foot 

 bath kept cold with ice. If she can not stand without great 

 suffering, packs of broken ice should be kept upon her feet. 



