780 MIDLAND COUNTIES VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
causes of it. In this animal it is not of such frequent occurrence 
as in the cow, and never appears to spread to the same alarming 
extent. There does not seem to be the same peculiar susceptibility 
to the influence of the known exciting causes as in that animal. It 
is generally brought about in ewes from injuries received, fright 
from dogs, debility from innutritious food, exposure upon high 
grounds in inclement seasons, or when the animal is labouring 
under some acute disease. Youatt mentions cases of it arising 
from what is very good practice, if judiciously carried out, viz. the 
admixture of common salt with the food. In the ewe it is rarely 
attended with a fatal result, and the means of prevention may be 
very briefly stated. Avoid exciting causes, such as dogging, &c. 
The ewes should be kept in as good condition as possible, but not 
made too fat. The better condition they are in, the more likely 
they will be to pass through the lambing safely, and the less liable 
they will be to the diseases incidental to it. It is highly necessary 
that ewes should be left as quiet as possible during the time they 
are in lamb, as well in the early as in the latter months. 
I recollect Professor Simonds used to state, in one of his lectures, 
that in a flock of ewes, which was much frightened by dogs, in the 
early part of the period of pregnancy, and caused to leap over some 
obstacle, although abortion was not produced, yet nearly all the 
lambs at the proper period were presented in some preternatural 
manner, and many were lost. The symptoms of abortion being 
about to take place in cows vary considerably. In those cases 
where in a few weeks, or perhaps days, the whole herd, or nearly 
so, are the subjects, there is seldom much constitutional disturbance, 
especially if it occurs in the early months of pregnancy; the foetus 
is at that time generally expelled enveloped in its membranes, and the 
act is unattended with pain or difficulty, the cow gives no evidence 
of subsequent suffering, and speedily recovers; in fact, so little 
apparent deviation is there from health, that the occurrence of the 
abortion frequently escapes notice. The nearer it happens to the 
natural period of parturition, the greater difficulty and danger 
attend it. 
When abortion occurs at an advanced period of pregnancy the 
calf is often found to have been retained in the uterus, perhaps 
for several days after it has ceased to. live. In such a case the 
following symptoms are commonly observed:—The cow appears 
dull, refuses her food, the extremities are cold, pulse quickened and 
weak in character, the abdomen falls, losing its natural rotundity, 
cessation of the movement of the foetus, and there is a foetid discharge 
from the vulva. The greatest attention will in these cases be required, 
as delivery is often difficult. The presentation is almost sure to be 
a preternatural one, and there is an unnatural dryness of the parts 
which adds greatly to the difiiculty. I cannot refrain from saying 
here that the inhuman and brutal means often used by cow-leeches 
and others to eflect delivery are disgraceful to a civilized community. 
It frequently happens—indeed, almost invariably—that when 
abortion takes place at an advanced period of pregnancy that the 
