Failure to Breed. 233 



must lead to other and further results, that are as abnormal 

 as is the occurrence of abortion itself. In other words, 

 while abortion, at an advanced stage of pregnancy, cer- 

 tainly causes engorgement in the blood-vessels of the 

 breeding organ, this condition of engorgement must lead 

 to several other equally abnormal and unseasonable conse- 

 quences.* 



The first and most immediate result of engorgement of the 

 blood-vessels surrounding the uterus and ovaries, is a cer- 

 tain, but variable degree of relaxation in the walls of the 

 arteries, and their capillaries, which results from their 

 sudden and extreme distention, causing more or less relax- 

 ation from this extreme over-strain by engorgement. The 

 natural outlet for the blood-flow toward the uterus, being 

 thus cut off by abortment, blood accumulates in, and great- 

 ly distends, the uterine artery vessels ; which takes place 

 very rapidly. This glutting process continues until the 

 uterine blood-vessels become engorged and distended to 

 the extent of 50 to 100 per cent, probably much more in 

 some instances, in which engorgement from abortion oc- 

 curs. The consequence is, the thinning of the uterine and 

 ovarian artery walls down to the extent of 50 to 100 per 

 cent below their natural thickness ; and this result must 

 consistently ensue in the small capillary vessels as well as 

 in the larger tubes of the uterine system of blood-vessels ! 



The natural outlet and demand for the blood that thus 

 accumulates in and engorges the uterine and ovarian blood- 

 vessels, as just pointed out, being cut off, no means of im- 

 mediately relieving the engorged vessels appears. 



* It requires atout two weeks after full-time delivery for the uterus to 

 contract to its ante-breeding size, and as much as two months to restore it to 

 the ante-pregnant condition, by involution. In almost parallel cases, the 

 weakness and disorder resulting from abortion continue for a long tvme^ in 

 some instances ; and it is highly probable that the disordered condition of 

 the uterine and ovarian organs and blood-vessels, in cows, continues so 

 long as to become permanent., when the degree of engorgement in the uterus 

 and ovarian blood-vessels is so abrupt and extreme as it certainly is in many 

 cases of abortion. 



16 



