io86 Veterinary Obstetrics 



Many cows have the disease more or less intensely, yet breed 

 regularly, and produce healthy, vigorous calves. The cows in- 

 cluded in the 40 apparently healthy animals, in this herd, breed regu- 

 larly, and drop healthy calves. 



Based upon this feature of the malady, a thriving trade is 

 carried on by fraudulent veterinarians with "abortion cures". 

 When a dairyman has lost one or two crops of calves, and turns 

 with a forlorn hope to the ' ' abortion cure ' ' fraud and applies 

 the remedy, if the time is opportune, the abortion ceases and the 

 dairyman writes a ' ' testimonial ' ' , but the disease remains in 

 the herd, and sooner or later will again bring disaster. Should 

 the fraudulent remedies be applied at an inopportune epoch, the 

 abortion goes on, and the remedy seems almost to cultivate it. 

 Thus in this herd the writer was informed that one of the most 

 highly lauded " abortion cures " in America was given a com- 

 plete trial in one of the stables, with the result that a far higher 

 percentage of the cows aborted in that than in either other stable 

 on the farm. The remedy was just as effective as it ever is, but 

 was used at the wrong time, when the abortion was not ready to 

 cease. 



Another important element in connection with the outbreak in 

 this herd is the prevalence of sterility. In dealing with the 

 problem of sterility, and quoting Professor Hess, on page 171, it 

 is asserted that the granular venereal disease is one of the most 

 common causes of sterility from cystic degeneration of the 

 ovaries. That is, according to the observations of Hess, that 

 malady causes the ovarian disease. Our studies upon the herd 

 in question went far to substantiate the views of Professor Hess, 

 differing from his observations in some important respects, 

 though in no wise contradictory. 



The herd records showed the most serious sterility, not in 

 cows, but in heifers which had not bred at all, or, if they con- 

 ceived, had suffered from invisible abortion, i. e., had aborted 

 ere the fetus had reached a size that its expulsion was detected 

 by the keepers. Fourteen such heifers were sent to the butcher 

 during 1908 because all efforts at breeding proved futile. Some 

 were served five to ten times each, without avail, estrum recur- 

 ring regularly every three weeks. Others would show estrum 

 regularly two or three times, then miss one, two or more periods 



