SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
471 
quickened, will give a strain with a groan. At this time he 
nay notice a whitish discharge, which later turns to a yellow 
ir reddish hue ; by watching the abdomen he will see the 
oetus, if alive, in violent motion. Soon after this we will 
lave the symptoms of a normal parturition, viz.: The uterus 
begins to contract, the expiratory muscles acting in conjunc- 
;ion therewith. The extent of these labor pains depends much 
ipon the strength of the animal and suddeness of the attack. 
The first result of the straining is emptying of the rectum 
md bladder; next dilation of os uteri and protrusion of mem¬ 
branes into the vagina, then through vulva externally. As 
he water-bag ruptures the pains are excessive and powerful, 
;oon expelling foetus—sometimes with all the membranes, but 
>ftener they have to be removed by the hand with difficulty. 
Ahere the animal is poor and weak external force is often 
lecessary. 
Epizootic or infectious abortion : Epizootic or infectious 
liffers much from the sporadic form in affecting whole herds 
)f pregnant animals in one locality, and will occur year after 
mar without any abatement in spite of anything that can be 
lone, and even without finding any cause for the outbreak, 
hus making it a great scourge to cattle-raisers and farmers. 
The causes that have been advanced are very conflicting. As 
ong ago as the last century, contagion or infection was be- 
ieved to be the principal cause of this trouble. It was ob- 
erved if one cow in a stable aborted the others usually fol- 
Dwed suit. In my own practice I have a client who had a 
ne herd of grade cattle, and knew nothing of this disease, 
-ever having anything of the kind in his stable. He went to 
drove-yard and bought a fine-looking cow, which, after be¬ 
ing on his farm a few weeks, aborted. Within a few months 
11 of his pregnant animals aborted, and have been doing so 
ver since. 
In experiments performed by Franck, of the Munich Vet- 
rinary School, it has been established by microscopical in- 
estigation that on the lining membrane of the vagina, and 
tiat of the vulva, there is constantly found a minute fungus 
fixed with the mucus, in every respect similar to the lep- 
3thrix buccalis, being, in fact, a kind of bacterium. 
