ABNORMALITIES IN SEXUAL DESIRE 163 



Whether' or not medicinal treatment in addition to the 

 use of air is of value is debatable. In the average run of 

 cases it is certainly unnecessary, except perhaps for the affect 

 it may have on the owner. The use of excitants such as the 

 subcutaneous injections of caffein (5j), strychnin (gr. ss) or 

 arecalin (gr. j) is recommended as an auxiliary treatment. 

 Giving medicine via the mouth should be avoided. 



ABNORMALITIES IN SEXUAL DESIRE. 



In animals the sexual desire may deviate from the normal 

 in two ways, viz. : it may be abnormally increased, producing 

 a condition known as nymphomania in the female and saty- 

 riasis in the male. On the other hand, the sexual desire may 

 be diminished in either the male or the female. Of particular 

 importance is the nymphomania of cows, mares and sows 

 and the diminished sexual desire of the male. Occasionally 

 cows do not come in estrum which greatly lessens their 

 economic value. 



Nymphomania. — Etiology. — The causes of nymphomania 

 are not always determinable. In cows a common cause is 

 cystic ovaries or more rarely tuberculosis or tumors (sarcoma, 

 carcinoma) in the ovaries. Diseases of the uterus such as 

 endometritis, and occlusion of the os may lead to a cow failing 

 to conceive and therefore a repeated return of the period of 

 estrum. In other instances the causes seem to lie outside 

 of the reproductive organs and probably emanates from the 

 spinal cord. Obviously anything which prevents conception 

 and renders the female animal sterile will produce a return of 

 the period of heat which is not a true nymphomania. 



Symptoms. — In cows the symptoms are those of an exag- 

 gerated estrum. Eepeated copulation fails to produce con- 

 ception. The period of heat is also prolonged. The patients 

 are nervous, excited, keep up a continued bellowing and 

 running around the pasture or enclosure', mounting other 

 animals and even human beings. Milch cows fall off in their 

 milk and the milk itself is of poor quality. Later the patient 

 emaciates, the croup sinks on each side of the root of the tail, 



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