Retained Place^ita in the Cow 803 



moval. It is the dead and putrefying placental tufts im- 

 prisoned in the cotyledons, and not the other portions of 

 the chorion, which constitute the element of danger in the 

 disease. If we cannot remove these tissues, which con- 

 stitute the fundamental danger in retained placenta, then 

 we should not, under any conditions, remove those harm- 

 less portions, which may later serve a highly necessary 

 and useful purpose in withdrawing the imprisoned 

 placental tufts. 



2. Expectant Handling. When it is impracticable to manu- 

 ally remove the entire mass of the chorion, including the tufts, 

 the afterbirth should be allowed to remain in the uterine cavity 

 with the detached portions hanging from the vulva. The at- 

 tending veterinarian should attempt to control and alleviate the 

 infection in the organ, and to retard, as far as possible, the putrid 

 decomposition of the retained membranes by irrigating the uterine 

 cavity with warm water, to which he may add a small amount of 

 disinfectant, being careful not to use sufficient to cause any irri- 

 tation of the uterus. One may use from ^ to ^ % carbolic acid, 

 or an equal amount of lysol. If the animal does not throw out 

 the injected liquid, along with the accumulated discharges in 

 the uterine cavity,' it should be siphoned out by means of a tube. 



It is wrong to leave this fluid in the uterine cavity, where it 

 can work no good. We cannot disinfect the diseased tissues, 

 because any disinfectant sufficiently powerful to pass into the 

 tissues and destroy the micro-organisms must destroy the tissues 

 before the micro-organisms are reached. It is of great use, how- 

 ever, to remove from the uterine cavity the accumulated disease 

 discharges or bacterial products. The washing, should be re- 

 peated at least once a day, and should be continued each time 

 until the fluid, When expelled or siphoned out, is comparatively 

 clear and free from odor. When this has been siphoned out, 

 there should be deposited within the uterus some antiseptic which 

 will tend to obviate any increase of the iqfection, without in- 

 ducing any marked irritation of the diseased organ. In our 

 judgment, the most reliable drug for this purpose is iodoform, 

 which may be introduced into the uterine cavity in the powdered 

 form, enclosed in a gelatine capsule, which the operator may 

 leave to dissolve or may open and scatter the powder about in the 

 various parts of the uterus. This plan has been carried out by 



