Chronic Metritis in the Mare 



887 



and presented to the naked eye the appearance of a disintegrated 

 melanotic tumor; 



Upon vaginal exploration, the vagina is usually found to be 

 normal, though possibly the mucosa is somewhat irritated because 

 of the presence of the pus from the uterus . - When the os uteri 

 is reached, it is usually found closed, and it may prove exceed- 

 ingly difficult or impossible to insert a finger. If the cervical 

 canal can be passed, the uterine cavity is found filled with pus, 

 and the uterine walls paretic and denuded of their epithelial cover- 

 ing. Exploring per rectum, the operator finds the uterus very 

 greatly distended, lying inert, and containing from one to several 

 gallons of liquid, which fluctuates upon palpation. 



There are few affections which may be confounded in reference 

 to diagnosis with chronic metritis. Occasionally we meet with a 

 similar discharge from the vulva in case of a very large calculus 

 in the bladder, accompanied by purulent cystitis. Other forms of 

 purulent cystitis may cause like symptoms, as may also a malig- 

 nant tumor of the bladder when breaking down. Chronic vag- 

 initis may also be mistaken for this affection, until manual ex- 



cu 



Fig. 141. Pyometra in Marb. 

 O, O, Ovaries. UC, Uterine cornu. U, Uterus. 

 CU, Indurated cervix uteri. V, Vagina. 



ploration is made. In Case 3 we record below an instance of ter- 

 atologic development of the uterus, which induced symptoms of 

 chronic metritis. 



The changes observed in the uterus consist chiefly of a thick- 

 ened and sclerotic condition of the cervix uteri, with extreme 



