THE GENERATIVE APPARATUS. 173 



of parturition approached her cries became more frequent, 

 and she expressed much uneasiness. She brought forth 

 four puppies, the last of which was dead, and on the 

 following morning she had a violent fit ; she was put in a 

 warm bath and given a tablespoonful of castor-oil mixture. 

 On the third morning she got out of her bed and ran 

 round the place as if mad, and her eyes appeared ready 

 to burst out of her head. The baths were repeated at 

 intervals during the day, and in the evening she seemed 

 better, and consciousness had returned. Next morning 

 she was found dead, and examination of the body showed 

 the peritoneum inflamed and a dark fluid in the abdomen, 

 also " two large, . ill-conditioned ulcers existed on one of 

 the horns of this organ. They had completely perforated 

 all the coats, forming a ready communication between the 

 uterus and the abdomen" ('Vet. Record,' iii, p. 68). In 

 ulceration of the mucous membrane cleanliness must be 

 ensured by frequent syringing with solution of zinc 

 chloride, and the strength of the patient supported by a 

 course of tonics and strict hygiene. 



Htdrometra or Htdrops Uteri in the bitch assumes the 

 form of accumulation of fluid in the uterine cavity, whereby 

 distension gradually takes place, and symptoms somewhat 

 resembling those of pregnancy may be induced ; it is 

 associated with obesity and generally also indigestion. 

 In old bitches which have produced several litters of pups 

 oestrum is apt to become irregular or suppressed ; if this 

 be found simultaneously with enlargement of the belly 

 gradually increasing, and on manipulation the distension 

 be traced to the uterus, and that organ, instead of contain- 

 ing several masses which feel like tumours, has an elastic 

 resilient feel, dropsy of the womb is probably present. In 

 its advanced stages the abdomen becomes much enlarged 

 and markedly pendulous. The patient is prostrated and 

 refuses food, but suffers from thirst. At length she 

 succumbs to exhaustion, and examination shows the uterus 

 distended with fluid of a thin watery character or thick 

 like pus, but owing its consistency to epithelial cells as 

 detectable under the microscope. The mucous membrane 



