320 
T11E EDINBURGH VETERINARY COLLEGE. 
property of a dairy-keeper. She had been unwell for some days 
previously to the 16th of April, when application for assistance was 
made here by the owner. She had calved about a fortnight before, 
but had not cleansed perfectly, and although no part of the pla- 
centa could be seen externally, yet, from the foetid nature of a 
discharge which came from the vagina, it was evident the placenta 
had decomposed internally. There was almost continued straining, 
and when the animal evacuated the faeces or the urine, the strain- 
ing action was immediately excited. The discharge from the 
uterus, although continuous, was most abundant after the acts of 
urination, and consisted of a brownish fluid, containing flakes of a 
whitish matter, approaching somewhat to the character of pus. 
There was considerable constitutional disturbance, as evinced by 
quickened breathing, irritable pulse, loss of appetite and rumina- 
tion. Pressure on the right side seemed to give the animal con- 
siderable pain. The treatment adopted consisted in injecting tepid 
water from time to time into the vagina and uterus, with the in- 
ternal administration of, first, an oleaginous laxative combined with 
laudanum, afterwards opium and camphor, as the case seemed to 
require. For some days after commencing this treatment, there 
was little obvious improvement, and although the disease in the 
uterus was eventually arrested, the cow, when near convalescent, 
was seized with pleuro-pneumonia, and died. 
The case of retention of the placenta occurred in an aged cow, 
and although not characterised by any thing particularly rare, may 
deserve noticing. She calved on the morning of April 3d, and, 
instead of cleansing within the space of a few hours, suffered much 
during that time from after-pains, and, towards evening, commenced 
to strain with great violence, as if in labour, so that the owner 
was afraid the uterus would be thrown down. On seeing her late 
at night, the pains were extremely violent, and several persons 
were found endeavouring to keep in the calf-bed, which, they 
said, had several times made its appearance. Immediate aid was 
evidently called for, in order to avert the injurious consequences 
likely to result from a continuance of the violent straining efforts 
the cow was making, and as the placenta was, in all probability, 
the cause of mischief, it was resolved to attempt its removal. 
The hind parts were accordingly elevated, the back was pinched 
violently in order to prevent the straining, and the hand was intro- 
duced for this purpose. On passing the hand round the external 
part of the placenta, it was found adherent a little anteriorly to the 
os uteri, and so firm was the attachment, that nothing but a great 
degree of force could have brought it away. It was, therefore, 
thought best to let it remain until the following day, and to em- 
ploy, in the mean time, measures in order to overcome the violent 
