646 SCOTTISH METROPOLITAN VETERINARY MEDICAL SOCIETY. 
wealth. And when sheep sell at as high prices as horses, and a 
single ram even exceeds in market value the horse, it is high time 
that veterinary surgeons were making themselves acquainted with 
some of the more obscure diseases that they are heir to. Every man 
should have for his motto the words of our national bard : “ The 
world is our country, and to do good is our religion. Whatever tends 
to mitigate the woes or increase the happiness of others is our crite- 
rion of goodness; and whatever injures society at large or any 
individual in it is our measure of iniquity .” 
In speaking of abortion and premature birth it is unnecessary for 
me to notice all the different stages of development that the foetus 
undergoes during the period of intra-uterine life. 
The term of gestation in the mare is, as you all know, eleven 
months, or about 330 days ; in the cow nine months, or about 270 
days ; and in the ewe five months, or about 150 days. 
Abortion is the act of bringing forth young before the full term 
of gestation is completed. The expulsion of the foetus takes the 
name of abortion when occurring during the first six months of 
pregnancy in the mare and cow, and the first three months in the 
ewe. When it takes place after these periods in the different ani- 
mals, it is generally considered premature birth. 
Causes . — The cause of abortion and premature birth has all 
along been involved in much obscurity ; and when we find it occur- 
ring under very different systems of feeding and management, we 
cannot help coming to the conclusion that the true cause or causes 
have never been very clearly demonstrated. Yet if we ever think 
about the matter at all, it perpetually recurs to us that it is a diffi- 
culty which we must get an explanation of by some means or other 
before we can arrive at any satisfactory means of cure ; or, what is 
better, prevention. 
There are no female domestic animals that are not liable to abort, but 
the further they are removed from their natural habits and systems 
of feeding the cases become far more frequent. It used to be stated 
by the late lamented Sir James Simpson, that abortion occurred far 
oftener in females in the higher classes of society than in those who 
moved in the lower walks of life. 
Most of you will have observed in the course of practice, that if 
there is a favorite animal whose owner is anxious to perpetuate her 
kind, she is put to no work, but allowed to live a life of indolence 
and ease, and fed on the best of food. How often are the owner’s 
hopes blasted by seeing her miscarry ; or if she carry her young till 
the full time, it will be born a puny helpless creature; while another 
animal who works hard and regularly, and whose feeding is very poor 
indeed, brings forth her offspring at full time, strong and healthy. 
When speaking thus, I do not wish it to be understood that I 
advise hard work and bad usage as the best or proper treatment for 
a pregnant animal. What I would wish to inculcate is the aiming 
at a medium course of action, and a uniform and regular system of 
feeding, so that the animal economy may be kept at a proper equili- 
