Pyometra. 223 



curs chiefly in 4-8 year-old cows, mostly in breeding and good 

 milking cows, seldom in farrow animals. It is largely caused 

 by abortion, premature birth, retained placenta, catarrhal or 

 purulent endo-metritis, maceration of the fetus and, according to 

 our observations, very often by the infectious granular venereal 

 disease. 



Although the symptoms vary somewhat they show a notable 

 constancy. 



First of all, contrary to our literature on the subject, our 

 numerous clinical records teach that cows with abnormal col- 

 lections in the uterus do not longer come in estrum, which con- 

 dition, in cases where the pyometra had been preceded by estrum 

 and coition, very often leads to the false assumption of pregnancy. 

 Furthermore, the condition of the broad ligaments of the pelvis, 

 the size of the vulva, the extent of the vulvar and vaginal canal, 

 are ordinarily normal or but slightly altered, and onlj' very sel- 

 dom is there a marked sinking of the sacro-sciatic ligaments. 

 Vaginal discharge is frequently absent in spite of the fact that the 

 uterus is greatly distended and the cervix uteri is open sufficiently 

 to permit the passage of a pencil, the little, or even the index, 

 finger. Now and then there is seen in the stall, especially in 

 the morning, a mucous, muco-purulent or flocculent purulent 

 vaginal discharge behind the recumbent animal. This may be 

 temporary or constant and variable in amount. It is also ob- 

 served that the opening of the uterine cervix sufficiently for the 

 passage of a pencil or of the little finger, and especially the 

 vaginal discharge, tends to recur about every three weeks and 

 persist for 2-3 days, or after about the same interval of time that 

 estrum should normally recur and enduring for about the length 

 of time that estrum should continue. In connection with 

 the open cervical canal, the cervix and uterus are slightly en- 

 larged or increased to the dimensions of a man's arm. The en- 

 larged, painless uterus, which is not to be confused with preg- 

 nancy, is either symmetric or now and then asymmetric, the one 

 horn, most generally the right, being somewhat more distended. 

 The size of the diseased horns varies between three and six 

 inches in diameter and naturally their length and thickness vary 

 greatly. If each horn does not contain to exceed a few liters of 

 contents the point of bifurcation of the horns is very evident as 

 is also the arching and curvature ; one may also grasp the 



