90 OVARIOTOMY OF TROUBLESOME MARES. 



been driven in harness, and went tolerably well, but on the 19th 

 another communication reported that she was still a bit of 

 trouble. On the 24th October a letter said : " The mare is 

 looking very well, and is quiet in harness, but still kicks badly 

 when being taken out and put in." On the 2ist November: 

 " She has not entirely given up her bad habits, but is at work 

 regularly on a farm ploughing.'' 



The ovaries were examined by Professor M'Fadyean, and 

 were larger in size than normal; one weighed three. ounces 

 and the other two. Each contained a number of Graafian 

 vesicles with pasty looking contents, the vesicles varying in 

 size from a Barcelona nut to a large filbert {see Fig. 25, the 

 larger ovary). 



No. 2. 26th November 1899. — Cart mare, nine or ten years 

 old, in present owner's possession about four months. A very 

 good worker except when in oestrum, and as this objectionable 

 period was practically continuous she was almost worthless. 

 She would kick and squeal whenever brought near another 

 horse, and even at times when another horse passed her on the 

 road. She had been served by the stallion on more than one 

 occasion, in the hope that if she proved in foal she might 

 get quieter. There was no appearance or even suspicion of 

 pregnancy, and the owner was so very positive upon this point 

 that I allowed myself to be misled. 



Unluckily, when operating, the ecraseur (a. Jong Chassaignac) 

 chain broke, and as I had not a second chain the ovaries were 

 removed after very considerable difficulty with a small one of 

 "Farmer Miles" pattern. One of the chains of this instrument 

 broke too, but, fortunately, the veterinary surgeon with whom 

 I was in consultation had a second, and with this they were 

 ultimately got away. Partly owing to this, perhaps, and 

 probably also more to the fact found upon post-mortem 

 examination that she was in foal, the mare died on ist 

 December. The ovaries were sent to Professor M'Fadyean ; 

 they weighed \\ ounces each, and were cirrhotic. 



