204 INFECTIOUS ABORTION IN CATTLE 
been made. It appears, however, that enough is known of the 
fundamental character of the disease, the source of infection and the 
avenue of invasion, that a comparatively safe plan may be formulated. 
Recent investigations apparently show that there are two great points 
of danger—contaminated milk fed to the calf, causing an infection 
through the alimentary tract, which eventually finds its way to the 
genital organs, and copulation. 
“The quarantining of cows which have aborted has failed. Admit- 
tedly, abortion is only one symptom of the presence of the infection, 
and we cannot control an infection by quarantine upon the basis of a 
single symptom. If we attempt a more delicate diagnosis as a basis 
for quarantine, we find it impossible at present to draw a clear line 
of demarcation between the infected and the non-infected, and the 
number of infected is so great that quarantine is rendered impracti- 
cable. Moreover, it appears now that an animal which has aborted or 
suffered other disaster is not a great direct menace to neighboring 
pregnant animals. 
“Stable disinfection has been advised for controlling abortion, but 
it is to be remembered that the infection which is doing harm is 
within the animal. The gutter may be disinfected thoroughly and an 
infected animal standing over it may reinfect it thoroughly within an 
hour. 
“The administration of disinfectants, such as carbolic acid and 
methylene blue, has not proven efficient. The principal area in which 
active harm is being done is in the utero-chorionic space of the 
pregnant cow, into which sealed cavity, so far as we are aware, no 
drug is carried by the circulatory system, and consequently no disin- 
fectant action can be brought about. 
“In the light of our present knowledge, the only constructive pro- 
gram that we can offer is to guard the new-born calf against infection 
through the milk and to guard the animal of breeding age against 
infection by copulation. 
‘When a cow is well advanced in pregnancy, generally at about 
270 days, she should be given a thorough bath with warm water and 
soap, lathering the skin until it is thoroughly clean. The soap should 
then be washed away with a reliable disinfecting solution. The cow 
should then be placed in a thoroughly clean stall, and in order to 
maintain the highest state of cleanliness her tail, thighs and udder 
should be carefully disinfected once a day and the vagina douched 
daily with a 0.25 per cent. Lugol’s solution or with some other equally 
good disinfecting solution. 
