88 
PURE BRED DRAFT HORSES 
the ectoderm known as the proctodeal pit, which gradually becomes deep¬ 
er while the wall between it and the end of the gut becomes more and 
more attenuated, until finally it disappears and the gut opens posteriorly 
as the anus. In some cases the attenuation and disappearance of the 
walls of the proctodeal pit fail to occur, and as a result the young animal 
is born with an imperforate anus. 
“In other cases, not only is there an arrest of the development in this 
part, but the entire posterior gut, or any portion of it, may fail to form 
or may become obliterated early, so that there is an absence of both the 
anus and the rectum. 
“The diagnosis of imperforate anus is comparatively simple, since it 
depends upon the absence of that organ. Upon examination no posterior 
opening of the gut is discoverable. If only the anus fails, the meconium 
may be pushed back against the thin membrane, to form a tumor in the 
anal region: while if the rectum itself is absent, no such tumor occurs. 
“. . . If the rectum is absent, so that the accumulation of meconium 
in the anal region does not occur, the animal should be destroyed as 
valueless. 
“In some instances in new-born females, there occurs an imperforate 
anus, accompanied by an imperfect vulvoanal partition, and the feces 
drop downward into the vulva through the defective partition, and escape 
therefrom involuntarily . . . However, because of the difficulty of 
bringing about the closure of an opening In this place, it would be better 
as a rule to destroy the young animal, unless it is of unusual value for 
work purposes. An animal with such a defect should not be used for 
breeding.” Williams. 48 
Imperforate Vulva 
“Imperforate vulva is fundamentally referable to the same causes as 
we have already described as operating in imperforate anus. The vulva is 
formed in the same manner as the anus, that is, it originates from the 
lower portion of the proctodeal pit. The atresia or closure may not end 
the vulva is completely closed, it prevents the discharge of urine through 
with the vulva, but may include other parts of the urinogenital canal. If 
the normal channel, and forces it to continue to pass through the urachus. 
“The handling of imperforate vulva cannot as a rule be successful, 
because it is difficult or impossible to discover the urethra and open it 
in a manner which will prove effective. The animal may continue to 
live indefinitely with an open urachus, but is of no value. When the 
vulva is only partially closed, and there is room for urine to escape 
readily, there is no occasion for surgical interference. As a general rule, 
such partial atresia or absence of the vulva in reality depends upon an 
asexual state, as is observed in freemartins, so that the animal is in¬ 
capable of breeding. Consequently, there is no object to be gained by any 
surgical attempt at dilating the vulva.” Williams. 48 
Diarrhea 
. . In the present section we propose to deal with what is prob¬ 
ably one of the commonest affections in foals from one to two weeks old. 
In a breeding district the practitioner meets with a large number of 
cases of what is popularly known as ‘scouring’ in foals, the leading symp¬ 
tom of which is the presence of diarrhea in various degrees of severity. 
Mild cases readily yield to simple treatment, but when such are neglected 
or irrationally treated, or occur in animals of a weak constitution, colicky 
pains may be manifested, with marked depression, and death may result 
from exhaustion. 
“. . . Various causes have been suggested, such as defective sanitary 
surroundings and alterations in the lacteal secretion of the dam, so that 
