1092 Veterinary Obstetrics 



nent, the irritation of the vulvar mucosa almost wanting, and 

 vulvar discharge recognizable in but few animals. 



In harmony with these clinical data, abortion is rare, never 

 exceeding, according to the owner's estimate, 2 to 4% in any 

 year, while sterility is low. Probably an average of 4 to 5% of 

 the females are sent to the butcher annually for sterility, but 

 dairymen in New York have come to regard this as possibly 

 normal. Still, some abnormal losses from sterility are recognized 

 by the owner of the herd. In 1908, 2 heifers were sent to the 

 butcher because of sterility, a loss in these alone of 4% of the 

 females of breeding age. These animals were of an age at which 

 they should have bred promptly. 



The owner of the herd complains chiefly of the excessive 

 occurrence of retained placenta, estimating the retention at 20%, 

 although the cows are very well kept, strong and vigorous. We 

 have casually inspected numerous other herds in the vicinity of 

 Ithaca and elsewhere, uniformly finding them infected. Where 

 the disease is severe, abortion is common ; where the malady is 

 mild, the losses are correspondingly low. In no herd investi- 

 gated do the results vary in any material way from those described 

 in the 8 herds we have already reported in detail. 



The symptoms of the disease have been largely related above. 

 Within 2-5 days after infection, the vulvar mucosa becomes in- 

 jected, dark-red and swollen. The longitudinal rugae of the 

 mucous membrane become more prominent, and within a few days 

 small granular elevations about the size of mustard seed appear 

 in the vulvar mucosa as hemispherical elevations above the sur- 

 rounding epithelium. They appear mostly in somewhat indis- 

 tinct longitudinal rows. Usually they are most prominent about, 

 or just anterior to, the clitoris, and are seen chiefly along the 

 summits of the longitudinal mucous ridges. In heifer calves, 

 where the granules are usually few but very large and clear-cut, 

 they sometimes tend to be confined to the immediate region of 

 the clitoris. 



In moderate and severe cases, the granules spread completely 

 around the vulva, but do not extend to the cutaneous margin. 

 We have not observed the enlarged follicles nearer to the margins 

 of the labise than yi inch. Forward, they extend as far as may be 

 seen by parting the vulvar lips. The irritation of the mucosa 

 increases anteriorly. 



