170 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



breeding animals, subject them to quarantine and treatment before 

 placing them in the sound herd. 



As a certain number of the cows will harbor the germ in the womb 

 when treatment is started, it is not to be expected that abortions will 

 cease at once, but by keeping up the treatment the trouble may be 

 got rid of in the following year. As an aborting cow is usually of 

 little use for the dairy, it is best to separate and fatten her and apply 

 treatment to those that remain. In this, as in other del Lcate manipu- 

 lations, the stock owner will consult his own interest by employing an 

 accomplished veterinarian and avoiding such as have not had the 

 privileges of a thorough professional education. In addition to the 

 above, the removal of all manure and contaminated litter and the 

 sprinkling of the surface with the sulphate of copper solution is called 

 for. Drains should no less be thoroughly rinsed and disinfected. 

 Milking stools and other implements may be treated in the same way, 

 or with carbolic acid or boiling water. Great care should be taken to 

 guard against bull or cows from an aborting herd or district; streams 

 even may be suspected if there is an aborting herd near by and higher 

 up on that stream. Cows sent to bull from an aborting herd are to be 

 positively denied, and workmen that have attended on such a herd 

 should be made to wash and disinfect their clothes and persons. 



SYMPTOMS OF CALVING. 



In the cow the premonitions of calving are the enlargement of the 

 udder, which becomes firm and resistant to the touch, with more or 

 less swelling in front, and yields a serous milky fluid ; the enlarge- 

 ment and swelling of the vulva, which discharges an abundant stringy 

 mucus ; the drooping of the belly, and the falling in of the muscles at 

 each side of the root of the tail, so as to leave deep hollows. When 

 this last symptom is seen calving may be counted on in twenty-four 

 hours or in two or three days. When the act is imminent, the cow 

 becomes uneasy, moves restlessly, leaves off eating, in the field leaves 

 the herd, lies down and rises again as if in pain, shifts upon her hind 

 feet, moves the tail, and may bellow or moan. When labor pains 

 come on the back is'arched, the croup drooped, the belly is drawn up, 

 and straining is more or less violent and continuous. Meanwhile 

 blood may have appeared on the vulva and tail, and soon the clear 

 water bags protrude between the lips of the vulva. They increase 

 rapidly, hanging down toward the hocks, and the fore or hind feet 

 can be detected within them. With the rupture of the bags and 

 escape of the waters the womb contracts on the solid angular body of 

 the fetus and is at once stimulated to more violent contractions, so 

 that the work proceeds with redoubled energy to the complete expul- 

 sion. This is the reason why it is wrong to rupture the water bags if 

 the presentation is normal, as they furnish a soft, uniform pressure 

 for the preliminary dilation of the mouth of the womb and passages, 



