HYDROPS UTERI IN A HEIFER. 
79 
and the horse did not even scratch his knees or fetlock 
joints when he stumbled, although he very nearly came down. 
Could the bone have been fractured during the run, without 
its becoming displaced, until after the horse had travelled so 
great a distance as nine miles, at a trot along a hard road? 
Or did the horse cross his legs, and in the violent effort to 
recover himself, snap the bone ? 
I shall be glad to hear the opinion of your professional 
readers on the subject. 
HYDROPS UTERI IN A HEIFER. 
By Jos. Freeman, M.R.C.V.S., Keyingham, near Hull. 
D uring the past summer I was requested to attend a 
two-year-old heifer, which the owner supposed was near the 
time of parturition. When I saw her she appeared to be 
in the greatest agony, having also some signs of parturition 
coming on. I however examined her, and ascertained there 
was no calf existing, but that the uterus was full of fluid. 
The owner informed me that she had been to the bull two 
months previous. I at once determined on performing an 
operation, and introduced into the vagina a common trochar, 
puncturing the os uteri , and leaving the canula in, when 
about ten quarts of an offensive yellow fluid was evacuated. 
A little tepid w 7 ater was then injected into the uterus, fol¬ 
lowed up by a mild astringent, and the animal was much 
relieved. However, in the course of a week the organ 
refilled. I again evacuated its contents, and injected a more 
active astringent, when in a few days the most favorable 
results followed. The animal is now doing well, and 
quite fat. 
During the last fifteen years of my father’s practice, some 
ten or twelve cases like this have come under his notice ; 
and, with the exception of two, they have all recovered. 
What is most singular is, they were all white coloured ; and 
some of the owners have declared, that the heifers never had 
any connection with a bull. 
I confess myself to be at a loss to account for this dropsical 
condition of the uterus. 
