Granular Venereal Disease of Cows 1083 



red and angry-looking, and bleeds easily, [t is sensitive to the 

 touch, and the patient resists palpation. Urination causes some 

 irritation of the parts, expressed by uneasy stepping and whisk- 

 ing of the tail. When the irritation is very intense, the vulva 

 becomes visibly swollen, especially the upper portions of the 

 labias, opposite the superior commissure. The vulvar lips at this 

 region become distinctly enlarged, tense and sensitive. 



It was observed, during our investigations in this herd, that 

 copulation greatly increased the vulvar irritation. So marked 

 was this coital irritation that we were enabled to largely antici- 

 pate the breeding history of a cow by inspecting the vulva. If 

 bred within a week or two, the vulvar irritation was very greatly 

 accentuated. This is in harmony with observations upon most 

 coital infectious, and has a distinct and important influence up- 

 on the question of therapeutics. No method of handling can 

 well succeed under the irritation of copulation. 



Estrum also caused a .somewhat increased vulvar irritation, 

 but not of the same grade as coition. It seemed, also, that in 

 this herd menstruation following estrum was especially marked 

 and abundant. 



An interesting phase of the disease in this herd was the large 

 percentage of heifer calves affected. European writers mention 

 the occasional transmission of the disea.se to heifers and calves, 

 but lead one to assume that such occurrences are rare. In this 

 herd, 61% of all virgin heifers, or 93% of all virgin heifers over 

 6 mouths old, were affected. This fact is very important in 

 relation to abortion, sterility and the transmission of the disease 

 from herd to herd. 



The method of infection in these cases is not wholly clear. 

 Our investigations developed the fact that the same grooming 

 implements, metal currycombs and stiff fiber brushes, were used 

 alike on diseased cows in adjoining stalls, and on the heifer calves. 

 In grooming, the vulvar region necessarily received extra atten- 

 tion in order to rid the region of dried fecal, and other accumu- 

 lations. In doing this, the vulvar lips were parted and the in- 

 fected currycomb and harsh brush were brought into contact 

 with the vulvar mucosa. 



Later observations, upon other herds, disclose the fact that 

 such infection of virgin heifers is not common when they are 



