54 Veterinary Obstetrics 



thinks it may result from smallness of the female. All cases we 

 have observed have been in mares of medium or large size, whether 

 viewed actually or comparatively as related to the size of the 

 stallion. 



The extent of the injury varies. Apparently, the accident may 

 cause little or no injury in some cases, though, in those which are 

 brought to the attention of the veterinarian, a large proportion 

 are fatal. The extent of the lesions will vary according to 

 the size and form of the penis, the violence of the copulatory act 

 and the quantity and character of the feces in the posterior por- 

 tion of the rectum. Should the rectum be quite empty or filled 

 only with pultaceous feces, as in a cow, or in the mare on green 

 food, the penis may force its way along in the bowel unless it is 

 caught in the folds. If the rectum is impacted with dry feces, as 

 is usually the case in the mare, the penis is deflected and tends 

 to pass through the rectal walls. The rupture may occur either 

 into the peritoneal cavity or into the periproctal connective tis- 

 sue. In the former case in the mare, the opening is so great 

 that feces at once drop into the peritoneal cavity and cause pro- 

 found irritation. No sooner has the stallion dismounted than 

 the mare trembles, looks anxiously at her sides, may pass some 

 feces and blood, moves uneasily and may lie down ,but does not 

 roll violently. The pulse is rapid and weak, the breathing is 

 shallow and quickened, the abdomen is held rigid and the patient 

 looks as if tympanitic. 



The symtoms resemble in many particulars those of rupture of 

 the stomach. The diagnosis is readily made by manual explor- 

 ation per rectum, the hand easily passing out through the rup- 

 ture into the peritoneal cavity. In one of our cases of rupture 

 into the peritoneal cavity, the mare lived some eight hours ; in 

 another, less than four hours. 



Not all cases lead to rupture into the peritoneal cavity. In 

 one instance under our observation, in an old brood mare, no his- 

 tory of injury was obtainable and apparently it had not occurred 

 during the several years of ownership by her last proprietor. 

 She died under symtoms of colic and an autopsy revealed a large 

 intra-pelvic sac, opening into the rectum, which had been habit- 

 ually filled with feces but, becoming over distended, had obstructed 

 the bowel and caused a rupture of the sac into the peritoneal cav- 



