DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 207 
sewed up before the womb is returned. After its return, the womb 
must be injected daily with an antiseptic solution (borax, one-half 
ounce, or carbolic acid, 3 drams to a quart of tepid water). If in- 
flammation threatens, the abdomen may be bathed continuously with 
hot water by means of a heavy woolen rag, and large doses of opium 
(one-half dram) may be given twice or thrice daily. 
RUPTURES OF THE VAGINA. 
These are attended with dangers similar to those belonging to rup- 
ture of the womb, and in addition by the risk of protrusion of the 
bladder, which appears through the lips of the vulva as a red, pyri- 
form mass. Sometimes such lacerations extend downward into the 
bladder, and in others upward into the terminal gut (rectum). In 
still other cases the anus is torn so that it forms one common orifice 
with the vulva. 
Too often such cases prove fatal, or at least a recovery is not at- 
tained, and urine or feces or both escape freely into the vagina. The 
simple laceration of the anus is easily sewed up, but the ends of the 
muscular fibers do not reunite and the control over the lower bowel. 
is never fully reacquired. The successful stitching up of the wound 
communicating with the bladder or the rectum requires unusual skill 
and care, and though I have succeeded in a case of the latter kind, I. 
can not advise the attempt by unprofessional persons. 
BLOOD CLOTS IN THE WALLS OF THE VAGINA. 
(See “ Effusion of blood in the vaginal walls,” p. 190.) 
LAMINITIS, OR FOUNDER, FOLLOWING PARTURITION. 
This sometimes follows on inflammation of the womb, as it fre- 
quently does on disorder of the stomach. Its symptoms agree with 
those of the common form of founder, and treatment need not differ. 
INFLAMMATION OF THE WOMB AND PERITONEUM. 
These may result from injuries sustained by the womb during or 
after parturition, from exposure to cold or wet, or from the irritant 
infective action of putrid products within the womb. Under the 
inflammation the womb remains dilated and flaccid, and decomposi- 
tion of its secretions almost always occurs, so that the inflammation 
tends to assume a putrid character and general septic infection is 
likely to occur. 
Symptoms.—The symptoms are ushered in by shivering, staring 
coat, small, rapid pulse, elevated temperature, accelerated breathing, 
loss of appetite, with arched back, stiff movement of the body, look- 
ing back at the flanks, and uneasy motions of the hind limbs, dis- 
charge from the vulva of a liquid at first watery, reddish, or yellow- 
ish, and later it may be whitish or glairy, and fetid or not in dif- 
ferent cases. Tenderness of the abdomen shown on pressure is 
