DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE OBGANS. 175 



in four or moi;e opposite directions prior to forcible dilatation. The 

 incision may be made with a probe-pointed knife, and should be 

 done by a professional man if possible. The subsequent dilatation may 

 be best effected by the slow expansion of sponge or seaweed tents 

 inserted into the narrow canal. In such cases it is best to let the 

 wounds of the neck heal before putting to horse. An imperforate 

 hymen may be freely incised in a crucial manner until the passage 

 will admit the human hand. An ordinary knife may be used for this 

 purpose, and after the operation the stallion may be admitted at 

 once or only after the ivounds have healed. 



PREGNANCY. 



INDICATIONS OF PREGNANCY. 



As the mere fact of service by the stallion does not insure preg- 

 nancy, it is important that the result should be determined to save 

 the mare from unnecessary and dangerous work or medication when 

 actually in foal and to obviate wasteful and needless precautions 

 when she is not. 



The cessation and nonrecurrence of the symptoms of heat (horsing) 

 are most significant, though not an infallible, sign of conception. If 

 the sexual excitement speedily subsides and the mare persistently 

 refuses the stallion for a month, she is probably pregnant. In very 

 exceptional cases a mare, though pregnant, will accept a second or 

 third service after weeks or months, and some mares will refuse the 

 horse persistently, though conception has not taken place, and this in 

 spite of warm weather, good condition of the mare, and liberal feed- 

 ing. The recurrence of heat in the pregnant mare is most liable to 

 take place in hot weather. If heat merely persists an undue length 

 of time after service, or if it reappears shortly after, in warm 

 weather and in a comparatively idle mare, on good feeding, it is 

 less significant, while the persistent absence of heat under such con- 

 ditions may be usually accepted as proof of conception. 



An unwonted gentleness and docility on the part of a previously 

 irritable or vicious mare, and supervening on service, is an excellent 

 indication of pregnancy, the generative instinct which caused the 

 excitement having been satisfied. 



An increase of fat, with softness and flabbiness of muscle, a loss of 

 energy, indisposition- for active work, a manifestation of laziness, 

 indeed, and of fatigue early and easily induced, when preceded by 

 service, will usually imply conception. 



Enlargement of the abdomen, especially in its lower third, with 

 slight falling in beneath the loins and hoUowness of the back are sig- 

 nificant symptoms, though they may be entirely absent. Swelling 



