sporadic or Accidental Abortioti 469 



because of the same cousiderations which lead us to advise 

 against it for non-pregnant animals. 



The low temperature of food or water has been invoked to ex- 

 plain some cases of abortion. In our observation, however, the 

 ingestion of cold food or water acts injuriously only under ex- 

 ceptional circumstances. Harms asserts that large quantities of 

 frozen food may bring about abortion and we may well believe 

 this because it may produce very severe indigestion and toxaemia. 

 So it is claimed that injection of cold water into the vagina may 

 bring about labor pains and the expulsion of the fetus, and also 

 that the drinking of a large amount of very cold water will pro- 

 duce the accident. There is another phase of the question 

 which should be considered. In many parts of the country 

 pregnant animals habitually drink ice-cold water during the 

 winter months ; they constantly eat food which is out of d'oors 

 and in many cases has a temperature considerably below zero ; 

 they dig away snow from grass in order that they may eat it and 

 many of them depend upon snow for their water supply. Yet, 

 abortion does not occur in such animals. If, however, a preg- 

 nant mare is driven until very warm and fatigued, and then 

 allowed to drink a large volume of ice-cold water, we may well 

 believe that serious results to the fetus may occur. If pregnant 

 cows are kept in a warm stable until they have become exceed- 

 ingly thirsty and are then allowed to drink heavily of cold water, 

 a severe shock to the fetus, as well as to the mother, may occur. 



Habit apparently has a strong influence in the production of 

 abortion in individual animals, or possibly we might say that in 

 the individual herself there exists some peculiarity, some 

 weakness or defect of the genital or of the general system, which 

 tends to prevent a fetus from arriving at full maturity and leads 

 to its premature death and expulsion. Such instances are fre- 

 quently noted in woman and are not rare in the mare and cow, 

 but the exact reasons therefor are not well understood. 



Twin pregnancy in the mare generally leads to abortion at 

 about the 8th to loth month of gestation. Probably 90% of 

 twin pregnancies in the mare thus end in the death of both 

 fetuses. In many twin pregnancies in the mare, the two fetuses 

 die at different periods but are expelled at the same cime, the two 

 showing different stages of development. The reasons for abor- 

 tion, in case of twin pregnancy in the mare, are not understood. 



