DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 185 



be served again for a month or longer, and in no case until after all 

 discharge from the vulva has ceased. 



INFECTIOUS ABORTION IN MARES. 



This disease is discussed in the chapter on " Infectious Diseases." 



PARTURITION. 

 SYMPTOMS OF PARTURITION. 



As the period of parturition approaches, the swelling of the udder 

 bespeaks the coming event, the engorgement in exceptional cases 

 extending forward on the lower surface of the abdomen and even into 

 the hind limbs. For about a week a serous fluid oozes from the teat 

 and concretes as a yellow, waxlike mass around its orifice. About 

 24 hours before the birth this gives place to a whitish, milky liquid, 

 which falls upon and mats the hairs on the inner sides of the 

 legs. Another symptom is enlargement of the vulva, with redness 

 of its lining membrane, and the escape of glariry mucus. The belly 

 droops, the flanks fall in, and the loins may even become depressed. 

 Finally the mare becomes uneasy, stops feeding, looks anxious, 

 whisks her tail, and may lie down and rise again. In many mares 

 this is not repeated, but they remain down; violent contractions of 

 the abdominal muscles ensue; after two or three pains the water 

 bags appear and burst, followed by the fore feet of the foal, with 

 the nose between the knees, and by a few more throes the fetus is 

 expelled. In other cases the act is accomplished standing. The 

 whole act may not occupy more than 5 or 10 minutes. This, together 

 with the disposition of the mare to avoid observation, renders the 

 act one that is rarely seen by the attendants. 



The navel string, which connects the foal to the membranes, is 

 ruptured when the fetus falls to the ground, or when the mare rises, 

 if she has been down, and the membranes are expelled a few minutes 

 later. 



NATURAL PRESENTATION. 



When there is a single foal, the common and desirable presentation 

 is with the fore feet first, the nose between the knees, and with the 

 front of the hoofs and knees arid the forehead directed upward toward 

 the anus, tail, and croup. (Plate XII, fig. 1.) In this way the 

 natural curvature of the body of the fetus corresponds to the curve 

 of the womb and genital passages, and particularly of the bony 

 pelvis, and the foal, passes with much greater ease than if placed 

 with its back downward toward the udder. When there is a twin 

 birth the second foal usually comes with its hind feet first, and the 

 backs of the legs, the points of the hocks, and the tail and croup are 

 turned upward toward the anus and tail of the mare. (Plate XII, 



