and subsequent possible Fertilisation of their Ova. 61 



the uterus ; are all causes which may be overcome by the method of 

 artificial insemination described above. 



Then, again, abnormal vaginal secretions may kill the spermatozoa ; 

 and another not uncommon cause of sterility in the mare, not men- 

 tioned by Fleming, is the inability of the vagina to retain the semen 

 after coition ; in such cases the withdrawal of the horse is imme- 

 diately followed by ejection of the semen from the vagina. This 

 fault may be due either to violent muscular contraction of the vagina, 

 or to an abnormally short vagina which is stretched by the penis 

 during coition, and which springs back again rapidly when that 

 organ is withdrawn. Artificial insemination is readily applicable 

 also in the latter case ; the semen is collected in a basin as it falls 

 from the vagina, is rapidly drawn up into a syringe, and injected 

 into the uterus in the way described above. 



With regard to the number of cases of sterility in mares, there is 

 no doubt that the percentage varies in different years, and that some 

 seasons appear to be more favourable for breeding than other 

 seasons. According to the evidence obtained by the Royal Com- 

 mission on Horse Breeding* (Nos. 29, 30, 33, 32) it is probably correct 

 to estimate that about 40 per cent, of breeding mares which are put 

 to the horse fail to produce offspring each year. 



This is a very considerable proportion, and it would appear highly 

 probable that breeders of valuable animals would gladly adopt a 

 method of reducing the loss occasioned by the infertility of so large 

 a proportion of mares, provided they could be assured that harm 

 cannot be done to breeding stock by the process, and provided 

 also that the offspring so obtained should be as healthy and vigorous 

 as that got in the ordinary way. 



The operation itself is perfectly simple, and cannot possibly do 

 harm if conducted by a qualified person ; it causes neither pain nor 

 inconvenience to the mare. 



With regard to the offspring begot by this process, I have no evi- 

 dence bearing on their vigour or health, and no doubt it is important 

 to the breeder to know this. The best way of solving the question 

 would be to use thoroughbred mares for the experiment, and to 

 subject the foals so obtained to the same rigorous tests usually 

 accorded to such animals ; their health, vigour, and stamina would 

 by this means be readily and justly judged. 



By the kindness of Lord Bosebery I was enabled late last spring 

 to superintend the artificial inseminatiou of the thorough-bred mare 

 "Myra." This mare has proved an uncertain breeder, and during 

 the whole of last breeding season she had failed to stand to the 

 horse. She was covered in my presence, and the seminal fluid drawn 

 up from her vagina into a syringe ; some slight difficulty was at first 

 experienced in passing the nozzle of the syringe through the os, 



