MIDLAND COUNTIES VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 781 
placental membranes are retained after the expulsion of the foetus, 
but no impatience should be displayed by resorting too early to any 
mechanical means for the purpose of removing them. Careful 
nursing, with a little aperient medicine, combined with a stimulant, 
will seldom fail in bringing about the desired result. 
The abortions which occur from accidental causes are generally 
more dangerous than those which depend upon some predisposing 
cause ; and the more violent the accident the more danger attends 
the abortion which may be consequent upon it. 
With regard to the treatment of abortion a few words will suffice. 
Before the symptoms of its approach are manifest the foetus is gene¬ 
rally dead; consequently, if it was then possible, it would not be 
desirable to prevent it. The cow should be removed from the others, 
and if there is not much constitutional disturbance a little aperient 
medicine will be all that will be required. The hinder parts should 
be washed with a disinfecting solution such as chloride of lime or 
carbolic acid, and the foetus got rid of as soon as possible—all blood 
and ether aborted matter being carefully removed. If the abortion 
has happened in the cowhouse, that place should be thoroughly 
cleansed and disinfected. It would be advisable to place the other 
portion of the herd under different circumstances as regards diet; 
and there is no objection to the administration to each of a dose of 
aperient medicine. 
Various superstitious notions still prevail respecting the occur¬ 
rence of abortion in cows, and many methods of treatment have 
been adopted, wdth a view to its prevention. There are, even at the 
present day, individuals who profess to be able to protect herds of 
COW’S from it by means of charms and other equally absurd remedies, 
such as burning the aborted matter wdthin a short distance of the 
other cows, and causing them to inhale the vapour proceeding from 
it (I have known this to be done in my own neighbourhood within 
the last four or five years) : others believe in the specific action of 
some particular “ drench,” which, of course, is equally ridiculous. I 
have known some intelligent agriculturists wdio have had all their 
in-calf cows bled at the end of the first three months of pregnancy, 
purgative medicine given, and stimulating applications rubbed on 
the loins. 
Prevention is unfortunately difficult, and all means adopted for 
the purpose are often found to be useless. We can only, I think, 
trust to good treatment, feed upon nutritious food, especially after 
the first three months. When the foetus becomes a greater drain 
upon its parent—and at this time the cow is probably yielding milk 
as well—protect the herd from inclement weather, let quietude be 
strictly enjoined, and the animals driven gently to and from the 
pasture ; the less hilly that is the better, as they would not be so 
liable to injuries from slipping or falling. It is also necessary that 
they should have wholesome water. If the cow’s are in very high 
condition a change to poorer pasture (but not suddenly) is desirable. 
In this case an occasional dose of aperient medicine would not be 
out of place, and even bleeding may be resorted to. In-calf cows 
