566 
M. E. KNOWLES. 
I assume that all are acquainted with the anatomical rela¬ 
tions and physiological process of procreation, and will go di¬ 
rectly to one of the most frequent causes of temporary sterility. 
There is a popular idea that the semen is ejaculated di¬ 
rectly through the cervical canal into the uterus, and with¬ 
out this conception cannot occur. 
This is a physiological impossibility, and if it ever occurs 
is purely by accident and due to an extremely flaccid cervix 
with a uterus ballooned with air. 
To disprove this popular theory, during the breeding sea¬ 
son of 1887, through the kindness of Mr. M-, I conducted 
a series of experiments on seven brood mares in the following 
manner : A few moments before copulation in each mare 
the vaginal speculum was introduced, cervix secured with a 
vulcellum forceps and a rubber band then tightly drawn about 
the body of the cervix ; a stallion served the mares in from 
ten to fifteen minutes after the application of rubber band ; 
ten minutes later the band was removed by introduction of 
the hand, and in five of the seven cases, conception followed 
the first service, one was served twice and one three times 
before conception occurred, but at each service the elastic 
band was tightly applied. 
Perhaps a more interesting and convincing proof of the 
absurdity of the intra-uterine-semen-injection hypothesis may 
be seen in the following: In June of 1888 a mare aged four 
years, thirteen and a half hands, was presented to a large stand¬ 
ard bred stallion for service. The horse after two ineffectual 
attempts to complete the sexual act, refused to again mount 
the mare, although the penis entered about half way each 
time. I was called a few hours later to see her on account of 
apparent colic, with which she had suffered since the at¬ 
tempted copulation. On introducing the vaginal speculum 
the cervix was found intensly hyperasmic, evidently from 
contusion with glans penis. On measurement, the vagina 
was only eleven inches in length from labinum majora. This 
shortness of the vagina readily accounted for the inability of the 
horse to complete sexual congress and the cervical hy- 
peraemia, 
