Rupture of the Prepuhian Tendon. 443 



breed without danger or difficulty, but is, so unsightly that her 

 value for this purpose is seriously diminished. She may do 

 ordinary slow work, but here the unsightliness becomes still more 

 serious and few persons are willing to use such an animal. 



The foal in the uterus at the time of the rupture usually 

 perishes, but, if the mare survive, succeeding foals may be born 

 with the same safety as though the lesion did not exist. 



When a threatened or beginning rupture is promptly recognized, 

 and appropriate measures for prevention or relief applied, the 

 prognosis is highly favorable. 



The advice of Fleming, that exten.sive edema of the abdominal 

 floor in pregnant mares is unimportant and may be safely ignored 

 and that the disease will quickly disappear after parturition 

 with little or no attention, has led, when followed, to serious 

 disaster in our hands. 



Edema in advanced pregnancy in the mare is a serious 

 condition, which calls for prompt and energetic handling. 

 It should always be regarded as a precursor of rupture of the 

 prepubian tendon. If left without attention, many of the mares 

 will succumb from rupture ; if proper attention is rendered the 

 danger will be almost wholly averted. 



Treatment. In the handling of threatened rupture of the 

 prepubian tendon, mechanical support of the greatly overloaded 

 and weakened abdominal floor should receive our first considera- 

 tion. Whenever extensive edema occurs along the floor of the 

 abdomen in a mare far advanced in pregnancy, unless the condi- 

 tion is clearly referable to unimportant causes, we urgently advise 

 the immediate application of an abdominal bandage of canvass or 

 other strong material. The bandage should be constructed with 

 8 or 10 strong buckles and billets and fitted to the oval form of 

 the abdomen by means of a gore placed in the center of the canvas. 

 We do not at all times have the required time for properly con- 

 structing the bandage, and, in order to avert immediately threat- 

 ening disaster, an emergency, many-tailed bandage should be 

 quickly applied. In order to adapt this to the oval form of the 

 abdomen, the tails should be crossed so that the most posterior 

 of one group of tails shall be tied to one of the most anterior of 

 the other end, and the remaining tails united upon a similar 

 plan. The spine and the point where the ends of the bandages 

 are tied should be amply padded to avoid pressure-necrosis of the 



