OBSERVATIONS ON CASES OF LE UCORRHCEA. 807 
accounts for the non-affection of the cervix and vagina; for 
if the discharge were at all continuous the two latter could 
scarcely escape participating in the disease. The discharge 
may occur at intervals varying in duration from twenty-four 
hours to as many days; in general, however, the intervals 
are comparatively short. 
The most distinguishing characteristic of real uterine leu- 
corrhoea is the quantity and occasional fetid condition of the 
discharge. The quantity may vary from six ounces to as 
many quarts; and, commonly, the greater the quantity the 
more abominable the smell; this, however, is not invariably 
the case. 
The severest cases of uterine leucorrhoea coming under my 
notice have occurred in mares. It is scarcely credible the 
quantity of fetid brownish-yellow material which, at inter¬ 
vals of a day or two or more, will be discharged from the 
uterus. In such instances the poor patient, unless very 
quickly relieved, rapidly loses condition, and actually becomes 
a pest, and a dangerous one too, to her attendant. I have 
known several horsemen whose hands and arms became 
seriously affected with an “ outbreaking ” through grooming 
and dressing at these leucorrhceal patients. 
So much for the descriptive part of the disease. I will 
now proceed to notice what I consider to be the cause and 
nature of the three forms of leucorrhoea specified. 
The causes may be divided into proximate and remote, or, 
as I am inclined to think may be said, local and constitu¬ 
tional. Indeed, it may be safely asserted, for example, that 
animals with a tubercular diathesis are exceedingly liable, 
on the slightest local encouragement, to become affected with 
leucorrhoea. I could quote many such cases. 
The remote causes of leucorrhoea may be set down as the 
existence of tubercular and rheumatic diathesis, a lax state of 
the general system, or a vitiated state of the blood conse¬ 
quent on bad usage. The presence of any of these causes I 
have found very inducive of leucorrhoeal discharges ; that is, 
I mean that with the least local incentive, animals consti¬ 
tutionally affected as above described will, more readily than 
others, become the subjects of leucorrhoea. 
Now, these local incentives constitute the proximate 
causes, and the list of such is by no means trifling or with¬ 
out variety. A good many proximate causes follow gesta¬ 
tion and parturition, such as the effects of laceration of the 
cervix and vagina during delivery, or even a failure in the 
natural closing up of the parts after their extraordinary dis¬ 
tension. Indeed, the parts often remain flaccid and loose, and 
