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thin and in one place fluctuation can be made out. In the 
latter part of the second month these symptoms are so promi- 
nent that the pregnancy can be rather safely recognized per 
rectum, if a normal uterus is present; this is not always the 
case, as there are many deviations, from the normal just at 
this time. 
There are also, of course, the fluctuations in the size of the 
organ, so that two uteri in the same stage of pregnancy are 
not always of the same size. As I mentioned before, an 
asymmetrical uterus can be found also in cases of metritis; 
neither is the thickness of the uterus walls a reliable sign, as 
there may be pregnancy in a uterus with rather thick walls. 
The best symptom is the fluctuation, which is, however, 
sometimes difficult to feel before the eighth week, especially 
when the horns are long, curved and thickwalled. It is 
apparent that the fluctuation depends very much from the 
size of the horn and from the thickness of its walls, and it is 
therefore necessary to palpitate its whole length. If one is 
unable to make sure, it is advisable to put a sharp hook in 
the cervix and to draw it into the vulva. In this manner the 
horn is fixed in its position, and with it the ovum; even a 
very slight fluctuation can now be felt. With proper con- 
sideration of all the circumstances, and specially noting the 
appearance of the cervix, one can make the diagnosis of preg- 
nancy as soon as one is able to find a distinct fluctuation. 
Mistakes, however, may happen, and the fluctuation is then 
not caused by pregnancy but by a pathological fluid. I found 
once in a postmortem examination an asymmetrical horn 
with fluctuation and a completely closed cervix, correspond- 
ing entirely to a two month pregnancy, but containing only 
a thin, clear exudate. Veterinarians who work in abattoirs 
inform me that findings of that kind are not rare. 
So the criterial symptom which differentiates the asym- 
metrical pathological uterus from the pregnant uterus is the 
muscular contractions which the latter never shows except 
during an abortion. Aside from that, the appearance of the 
