391 
FISTULOUS OPENINGS BETWEEN THE UTERUS 
AND INTESTINES IN A COW. 
By B. Kettle, M.R.C.V.S., Market Drayton. 
I FORWARD for your inspection, by train, the uterus, blad¬ 
der, vagina, and a portion of the intestines of a cow. As 
specimens of morbid anatomy—so far at least as the uterus 
and intestines are concerned—I consider them highly inte¬ 
resting and very unusual. I regret, however, that I can 
only give you a brief and imperfect outline of the case. 
Some time last month my friend, Mr. L. G. Walters, V.S., 
of Newport, asked me if I could kindly attend for him 
during his temporary absence from home, and it was whilst 
thus engaged that the subject of these remarks was brought 
under my notice. 
The cow was the property of Mr. Chapman, ofTunstall, six 
miles from Newport. She had lately failed a little in her ap¬ 
petite, and the day before Mr. Walters was sent for had 
strained considerably. When I saw her on the day fol¬ 
lowing, I found the symptoms much aggravated. Besides 
the straining, the pulse was weak and irritable; the vagina 
was greatly increased in colour and very sensitive; a dirty 
discharge was also coming from it. I was informed that she 
had aborted a little before last Christmas, but that since 
that time she had, under generous keep, been doing well, 
indeed, putting on flesh, as her owner expressed it. 
Being struck by the peculiar character of the matter 
discharged from the vagina, I explored this passage, and 
also the rectum. Nothing unusual was detected in the 
latter, but I found the os uteri would fairly admit the intro¬ 
duction of the index finger, and that the discharge, which 
was fsecal in character, was proceeding from the uterus. I 
could find no lesion of vagina or rectum. It appeared that 
at the commencement of her illness a large portion of fecu¬ 
lent matter was observed to be coming through the vagina, 
which would sufficiently account for the irritation and 
straining 
My diagnosis could be none other than that a communica¬ 
tion existed between the uterus and bowels, probably as the 
result of abscess. I pronounced against the possibility of 
the animaFs recovery, but recommended that she should be 
kept until Mr. Walters had seen her. This was done, and 
the result was that Mr. Walters ordered her to be destroyed. 
