THIRTY-SIXTH ANNUAL CONVENTION. 99 



large closes to cattle where the percent of loss was very great. 

 We have the best of success with this treatment. Eighty-one 

 out of 211 herds treated reported good results. 



The bull is probably the carrier of the infection, and there- 

 fore the bull should be thoroughly disinfected before and after 

 service, with some antiseptic solution, as a tablespoonful of per- 

 manganate of potash to a pailful of water. A rubber tube can 

 be used large enough to slip into the sheath of the bull, a funnel 

 is fitted to the other end and when elevated will force the solu- 

 tion well into the sheath and with the hand the operator can work 

 the solution thoroughly to all parts of the sheath. The limbs of 

 the bull should also be sponged with a good antiseptic solution. 



Sterility. Sterility is one of the sequels of contagious abor- 

 tion. The reason for this is that the microbes enter the follipian 

 tubes and affect and eventually destroy the ovaries and therefore 

 conception cannot occur. Many treatments have been used for 

 this affection and there are a great many patent medicines on the 

 market to be used for this disease, but our investigations have 

 shown that medicinal treatment has little or no effect. Out of 

 209 animals that were apparently sterile 86 remained sterile in 

 the herd for a year or more, 41 for eighteen months or more, 

 while conception occurred in 11 and successfully gave birth to a 

 calf. Post mortems were held on 74 of these animals and all 

 were found to have diseased ovaries; 42 out of the 74 had one 

 ovary affected while 32 had both ovaries affected. It is inter- 

 esting to know that the owners of these animals used the follow- 

 ing remedies : Such as dilation of the os uteri, washing them 

 with sterilized alkaline water, using yeast treatment and the va- 

 rious patent medicines offered for the cure of this disease. We 

 lost trace of 135 of these animals, but this experiment shows that 

 these remedies are of little avail when we have a record of 100 

 percent on which we held post mortems to have diseased ovaries, 

 especially if the animal has aborted. The animals should be fat- 

 tened as soon as possible and sold on the market. 



Conclusions. Abortion in cattle is caused by a germ which 

 is found in the exudate of the female and the bull. Therefore 



