DISEASES OF THE UBINARY AND REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS 315 



Treatment. — Force should never be used to remove a- placenta, 

 as the womb is always inflamed and serious damage would 

 result. By gently pulling on the protruding portions, the entire 

 mass may often be loosened and after a few hours will come away 

 of its own accord. If it does not, several gallons of blood-warm 

 normal salt solution, made by dissolving two level tablespoonfuls 

 of common table salt in one gallon of freshly boiled water, should 

 be introduced into the womb. This solution must be siphoned 

 or drained off after a short time. The douching should be re- 

 peated each morning and evening until the membranes loosen 

 and are easily detached. It ought to be continued twice daily 

 thereafter until every shred of tissue has been washed away. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE UTERUS 



Metritis, the scientific term for this disease, is a more serious 

 affection than is generally realized, as the uterus may become 

 damaged to such an extent that the animal will be unable to 

 bear young afterward. 



Causes. — Decomposition of blood and remnants of the after- 

 birth following parturition and the growth of poison-producing 

 germs in the uterus are responsible for most cases. The poisons 

 are quickly absorbed and blood-poisoning is the inevitable result. 



Symptoms. — A fever, chills, loss of appetite, shrinking of the 

 udder, reduction of the milk flow in the mother and digestive 

 disturbances in the suckling occur in about the order mentioned. 



Treatment. — Unless the accumulated fluids and placental 

 fragments are soon removed, the symptoms become more ag- 

 gravated and acute laminitis develops. Copious irrigations with 

 warm 0.5 per cent, carbolic acid or other suitable antiseptic 

 solution will serve as a means to cleanse the uterus. Care should 

 be taken that all the fluid is removed, for the uterine walls are 

 incapable of much contraction. This may be accomplished with 

 swabs of surgeons' absorbent cotton. Swabbing with tincture 

 of iodin without irrigating gives remarkably quick relief. 



PROLAPSE OF THE UTERUS 



In this accident, which only occurs very soon after the act 

 of parturition, the uterus "turns wrong side out" and protrudes 



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