Diseases occurring after Parturition in Coios and Sheep. 573 



cleansing. There are cases in which the uterine action is so 

 violent, that the viscus is re-inverted in the pelvic cavity^ the 

 sutures preventing its protrusion externally ; or the sutures from 

 the pressure may be torn out, and all labour has been in vain. 

 Occasionally, there will exist a rent in the tunics of the uterus 

 itself ; at other times the viscus has been inverted for some hours. 

 Possibly many ineffectual attempts have been made to return it, 

 and it has a black or purple appearance, with a distillation of 

 serum from its surface, indications of local gangrene. In these 

 cases it is better to attempt its extirpation. A ligature of stout 

 packthread should be passed around the neck of the uterus, as 

 close as possible to, or just within^ the vulval opening, and firmly 

 tied. It may then be again wound once or more around the same 

 place, and again knotted fast. This will prevent haemorrhage 

 taking place, as the whole of the protruded portion below the 

 ligature should be immediately removed with the knife ; the 

 upper portion of the womb, with the ligature, will then retract 

 into the vagina. As the constitutional symptoms will be very 

 similar, so may the after-treatment be guided by that laid down 

 under the head of inflammation of the womb. No attempt 

 should be made to breed again from an animal that has had inver- 

 sion of this organ. 



Retention of the placenta, or cleansing, occurs most fre- 

 quently when the animal has aborted her young before the 

 ordinary period of parturition ; nevertheless it is sometimes re- 

 tained after natural labour. The membranes hang down from 

 the vulval opening, and a fetid smell exhales from them, in- 

 creasing in fetor from day to day, and occasionally there will be 

 some straining present. Their retention appears to be depend- 

 ent partly upon the vitality of the placental cotyledons not being 

 sufficiently impaired, and partly to be owing to the expulsive 

 action of the uterus being defective immediately after the act of 

 parturition, the viscus gradually contracting upon the membranes 

 before they can be thrown off. If the animal be in good con- 

 dition, or plethoric, it will be requisite to administer the ordinary 

 saline cathartic, viz. I lb. of Epsom salts ; custom seems to 

 demand some medicament that will determine its action more 

 particularly to the annoyance, and, as practice to some extent 

 will bear this out, from two to three ounces of bruised juniper 

 berries may be added to the cathartic ; if, on the other hand, the 

 beast is in low condition, the medicine should consist of the 

 berries with an ounce each of gentian root and carraways in a 

 pint of warm ale and the same quantity of gruel, the cathartic 

 being omitted : about the third day (if they be retained so 

 long) gentle traction may be made with the hand upon them, 

 and not unfrequently in a few hours afterwards they will 



