428 THE MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF CATTLE 



Stagnation or that contains sewage; (7) disease acute 

 or chronic in various organs of the body, and especially 

 disease of the womb or the fetus. Inheritance from 

 parents lacking in stamina is frequently a predisposing 

 cause. 



Contagious abortion is a germ disease. It is caused 

 by the action of living germs upon the uterus and pla- 

 cental membranes. It is now believed that it is pro- 

 duced by one of several germs, which differ from each 

 other in minor particulars, and these differences may 

 account, in part at least, for different degrees of vir- 

 ulence in the action of the disease. The infection may 

 reach cows through contact of the genital organs with a 

 fence, rubbing post, floor, or litter previously soiled by 

 infected animals. It may also be conveyed to the uterus 

 through service from a male that has previously served 

 an infected cow. It is possible to keep cows in proximity 

 somewhat close without taking the disease, but, in such 

 instances, there must be no individual contact in any 

 way between the herds. 



The indications of approaching abortion, whether 

 sporadic or infectious, are frequently meager and not 

 prominently in evidence. During the first months of 

 pregnancy they may entirely escape detection. In ad- 

 vanced pre-gnancy they are more pronounced, and may 

 include more or less the following symptoms: (i) 

 Dullness and an inclination to remain aloof from the 

 herd; (2) a discharge of mucus from the vagina, which 

 is enlarged; (3) the enlargement of the udder and the 

 presence of milk secretion in cows that are dry; and 

 (4) slight labor pains some hours before the fetus is 

 expelled. 



While the losses in the aggregate from non- 

 contagious abortions are heav}^ in a great majority of 

 instances they are preventable. Frequent sporadic abor- 

 tions and poor management frequently go hand in hand, 

 but this may not be true of contagious abortion. It 



