Venereal Disease of Rabbits 839 



fetus in the apex of one horn. Occasionally the uterus be- 

 comes distended similar to an abscess, as shown in Fig. 243. 

 In the absence of effective technic for disinfecting the 

 uterus, the chief reliance is to be placed upon hysterectomy. 

 This is already described in the companion volume. 



CHAPTER XXVI 



VENEREAL DISEASE OF RABBITS 



Friedberger and Frohner (Spezielle Pathologic und Ther- 

 apie, 1904, page 501), describe an infectious disease of rab- 

 bits w^hich is transmitted chiefly or wholly through copula- 

 tion. The affection appeared in an extensive breeding es- 

 tablishment of rabbits. It consisted of an inflammatory 

 disease of the organs of copulation. It was transmitted by 

 coition from buck to doe, and vice versa. There were ex- 

 tensive swellings of the genital organs in both sexes, accom- 

 panied by a muco-purulent discharge. The disease was 

 finally eradicated by injections of a solution of sulphate of 

 copper, one to two per cent., extending over a period of some 

 weeks. 



This or a very similar disease occurs in large breeding es- 

 tablishments of rabbits and hares in this country, and 

 causes very serious losses by lowering or preventing repro- 

 duction over a long period of time. The only remedy known 

 is the thorough disinfection of the copulatory organs of both 

 sexes and the suspension of breeding until the disease is 

 under control. 



