57 
condition of the uterus. The reason for my contention is 
the fact that one always finds a primary metritis together 
with cystic degeneration of the ovaries, and that the treat- 
men of the metritis does away with the cystic degeneration. 
Ovarial cysts, originating in the follicles, are of very com- 
mon occurrence. Of 863 cows which I treated in the years 
1905-1906, I found cysts of the ovaries in 127, or in about 
14%. In 1906-1907, I found 63 in 400 cows, or 15%. Only 
on a very few farms with small herds did I find no cases of 
this kind; in other herds the number of cows with cystic 
degeneration of the ovaries varied between 20-40%, and in 
still others a trifling percentage was found. 
As a rule one finds, connected with the cystic degenera- 
tion, an endometritis, which may be easily recognized 
by a rectal or vaginal examination. The symptoms of 
endometritis are: Asymmetrical uterus horns, an open cervi- 
cal canal, and especially a swollen and secernating portio 
vaginalis, which produces a thick, viscous and muco-ptrulent 
secretion. 
Of 181 cows with cysts, 25 of which had symptoms of 
nymphomania, more than half had a metritis; 179 had an, 
open cervical canal, the mucosa of which was swollen and 
hyperemic; they also had a swollen, injected, deformed, and 
secernating orificium. 
It is possible that these symptoms are not so evident in 
post mortem examinations, since Zschokke found lesions of 
the ovaries only in cows with nymphomania; it may be, 
however, that he only examined old cases, where the uterine 
lesions were completely or nearly healed. 
Hess generally found metritis in cows with a cystic 
degeneration of the ovaries; he concludes that the cysts are 
the primary lesions, and that the uterine disease is accidental, 
or caused by the defect of the ovaries. Yet he states later 
that there is a certain relationship between the degeneration 
of the ovaries and the abnormal dilatation of the cervical 
canal. He generally found in cases of nymphomania the ori- 
