Special Report on Diseases of the Horse Part 24

If the womb fails to contract after difficult parturition, the after-pains will sometimes lead to the fundus pa.s.sing into the body of the organ and pa.s.sing through that and the v.a.g.i.n.a until the whole inverted organ appears externally and hangs down on the thighs. The result is rapid engorgement and swelling of the organ, impaction of the r.e.c.t.u.m with feces, and distention of the bladder with urine, all of which conditions seriously interfere with the return of the ma.s.s. In returning the womb the standing is preferable to the rec.u.mbent position, as the abdomen is more pendent and there is less obstruction to the return. It may, however, be necessary to put hobbles on the hind limbs to prevent the mare from kicking. A clean sheet should be held beneath the womb, and all filth, straw, and foreign bodies washed from its surface. Then with a broad, elastic (india-rubber) band, or in default of that a long strip of calico 4 or 5 inches wide, wind the womb as tightly as possible, beginning at its most dependent part (the extremity of the horn). This serves two good ends. It squeezes out into the general circulation the enormous ma.s.s of blood which engorged and enlarged the organ, and it furnishes a strong protective covering for the now delicate, friable organ, through which it may be safely manipulated without danger of laceration. The next step may be the pressure on the general ma.s.s while those portions next the v.u.l.v.a are gradually pushed in with the hands; or the extreme lowest point (the end of the horn) may be turned within itself and pushed forward into the v.a.g.i.n.a by the closed fist, the return being a.s.sisted by manipulations by the other hand, and even by those of a.s.sistants. By either mode the manipulations may be made with almost perfect safety so long as the organ is closely wrapped in the bandage. Once a portion has been introduced into the v.a.g.i.n.a the rest will usually follow with increasing ease, and the operation should be completed with the hand and arm extended the full length within the womb and moved from point to point so as to straighten out all parts of the organ and insure that no portion still remain inverted within another portion. Should any such partial inversion be left it will give rise to straining, under the force of which it will gradually increase until the whole ma.s.s will be protruded as before. The next step is to apply a truss as an effectual mechanical barrier to further escape of the womb through the v.u.l.v.a. The simplest is made with two 1-inch ropes, each about 18 feet long, each doubled and interwoven at the bend, as seen in Plate XIV, figure 4. The ring formed by the interlacing of the two ropes is adjusted around the v.u.l.v.a, the two ends of the one rope are carried up on the right and left of the tail and along the spine, being wound around each other in their course, and are finally tied to the upper part of the collar encircling the neck. The remaining two ends, belonging to the other rope, are carried downward and forward between the thighs and thence forward and upward on the sides of the belly and chest to be attached to the right and left sides of the collar. These ropes are drawn tightly enough to keep closely applied to the opening without chafing, and will fit still more securely when the mare raises her back to strain. It is desirable to tie the mare short so that she may be unable to lie down for a day or two, and she should be kept in a stall with the hind parts higher than the fore. Violent straining may be checked by full doses of opium (one-half dram), and any costiveness or diarrhea should be obviated by a suitable laxative or binding diet.

In some mares the contractions are too violent to allow of the return of the womb, and full doses of opium one-half dram, laudanum 2 ounces, or chloral hydrate 1 ounce, may be demanded, or the mare must be rendered insensible by ether or chloroform.

RUPTURE, OR LACERATION, OF THE WOMB.

This may occur from the feet of the foal during parturition, or from ill-directed efforts to a.s.sist, but it is especially liable to take place in the everted, congested, and friable organ. The resultant dangers are bleeding from the wound, escape of the bowels through the opening and their fatal injury by the mare's feet or otherwise, and peritonitis from the extension of inflammation from the wound and from the poisonous action of the septic liquids of the womb escaping into the abdominal cavity. The first object is to close the wound, but unless in eversion of the womb this is practically impossible. In the last-named condition the wound must be carefully and accurately sewed up before the womb is returned. After its return, the womb must be injected daily with an antiseptic solution (borax, one-half ounce, or carbolic acid, 3 drams to a quart of tepid water). If inflammation threatens, the abdomen may be bathed continuously with hot water by means of a heavy woolen rag, and large doses of opium (one-half dram) may be given twice or thrice daily.

RUPTURES OF THE v.a.g.i.n.a.

These are attended with dangers similar to those belonging to rupture of the womb, and in addition by the risk of protrusion of the bladder, which appears through the lips of the v.u.l.v.a as a red, pyriform ma.s.s.

Sometimes such lacerations extend downward into the bladder, and in others upward into the terminal gut (r.e.c.t.u.m). In still other cases the a.n.u.s is torn so that it forms one common orifice with the v.u.l.v.a.

Too often such cases prove fatal, or at least a recovery is not attained, and urine or feces or both escape freely into the v.a.g.i.n.a. The simple laceration of the a.n.u.s is easily sewed up, but the ends of the muscular fibers do not reunite and the control over the lower bowel is never fully reacquired. The successful st.i.tching up of the wound communicating with the bladder or the r.e.c.t.u.m requires unusual skill and care, and though I have succeeded in a case of the latter kind, I can not advise the attempt by unprofessional persons.

BLOOD CLOTS IN THE WALLS OF THE v.a.g.i.n.a.

(See "Effusion of blood in the v.a.g.i.n.al walls," p. 190.)

LAMINITIS, OR FOUNDER, FOLLOWING PARTURITION.

This sometimes follows on inflammation of the womb, as it frequently does on disorder of the stomach. Its symptoms agree with those of the common form of founder, and treatment need not differ.

INFLAMMATION OF THE WOMB AND PERITONEUM.

These may result from injuries sustained by the womb during or after parturition, from exposure to cold or wet, or from the irritant infective action of putrid products within the womb. Under the inflammation the womb remains dilated and flaccid, and decomposition of its secretions almost always occurs, so that the inflammation tends to a.s.sume a putrid character and general septic infection is likely to occur.

_Symptoms._--The symptoms are ushered in by s.h.i.+vering, staring coat, small, rapid pulse, elevated temperature, accelerated breathing, loss of appet.i.te, with arched back, stiff movement of the body, looking back at the flanks, and uneasy motions of the hind limbs, discharge from the v.u.l.v.a of a liquid at first watery, reddish, or yellowish, and later it may be whitish or glairy, and fetid or not in different cases.

Tenderness of the abdomen shown on pressure is especially characteristic of cases affecting the peritoneum or lining of the belly, and is more marked lower down. If the animal survives, the inflammation tends to become chronic and attended by a whitish mucopurulent discharge. If, on the contrary, it proves fatal, death is preceded by extreme prostration and weakness from the general septic poisoning.

_Treatment._--In treatment the first thing to be sought is the removal of all offensive and irritant matters from the womb through a caoutchouc tube introduced into the womb, and into which a funnel is fitted. Warm water should be pa.s.sed until it comes away clear. To insure that all the womb has been washed out, the oiled hand may be introduced to carry the end of the tube into the two horns successively. When the offensive contents have been thus removed, the womb should be injected with a quart of water holding in solution 1 dram permanganate of potash, or, in the absence of the latter, 2 teaspoonfuls of carbolic acid, twice daily.

Fomentation of the abdomen, or the application of a warm flaxseed poultice, may greatly relieve. Acetanilid, in doses of half an ounce, twice or thrice a day, or sulphate of quinia in doses of one-third ounce, may be employed to reduce the fever. If the great prostration indicates septic poisoning, large doses (one-half ounce) bisulphite of soda, or salicylate of soda, or sulphate of quinin may be resorted to.

LEUCORRHEA.

This is a white, glutinous, chronic discharge, the result of a continued, subacute inflammation of the mucous membrane of the womb.

Like the discharge of acute inflammation, it contains many forms of bacteria, by some of which it is manifestly inoculable on the p.e.n.i.s of the stallion, producing ulcers and a specific, gonorrheal discharge.

_Treatment_ may consist in the internal use of tonics (sulphate of iron, 3 drams, daily) and the was.h.i.+ng out of the womb, as described under the last heading, followed by an astringent antiseptic injection (carbolic acid, 2 teaspoonfuls; tannic acid, 1/2 dram; water, 1 quart). This may be given two or three times a day.

DISEASES OF THE UDDER AND TEATS.

CONGESTION AND INFLAMMATION OF THE UDDER.

This is comparatively rare in the mare, though in some cases the udder becomes painfully engorged before parturition, and a doughy swelling, pitting on pressure, extends forward on the lower surface of the abdomen. When this goes on to active inflammation, one or both of the glands becomes enlarged, hot, tense, and painful; the milk is dried up or replaced by a watery or reddish, serous fluid, which at times becomes fetid; the animal walks lame, loses appet.i.te, and shows general disorder and fever. The condition may end in recovery, in abscess, induration, or gangrene, and, in some cases, may lay the foundation for a tumor of the gland.

_Treatment._--The treatment is simple so long as there is only congestion. Active rubbing with lard or oil, or, better, camphorated oil, and the frequent drawing off of the milk, by the foal or with the hand, will usually bring about a rapid improvement. When active inflammation is present, fomentation with warm water may be kept up for an hour and followed by the application of the camphorated oil, to which has been added some carbonate of soda and extract of belladonna. A dose of laxative medicine (4 drams Barbados aloes) will be of service in reducing fever, and one-half ounce saltpeter daily will serve a similar end. In case the milk coagulates in the udder and can not be withdrawn, or when the liquid becomes fetid, a solution of 20 grains carbonate of soda and 10 drops carbolic acid dissolved in an ounce of water should be injected into the teat. In doing this it must be noted that the mare has three separate ducts opening on the summit of each teat and each must be carefully injected. To draw off the fetid product it may be needful to use a small milking tube, or spring teat dilator designed by the writer.

(Plate XIV, figs. 2 and 3.) When pus forms and points externally and can not find a free escape by the teat, the spot where it fluctuates must be opened freely with the knife and the cavity injected daily with the carbolic-acid lotion. When the gland becomes hard and indolent, it may be rubbed daily with iodin ointment 1 part, vaseline 6 parts.

TUMORS OF THE UDDER.

As the result of inflammation of the udder it may become the seat of an indurated diseased growth, which may go on growing and seriously interfere with the movement of the hind limbs. If such swellings do not give way in their early stages to treatment by iodin, the only resort is to cut them out with a knife. As the gland is often implicated and has to be removed, such mares can not in the future suckle their colts and therefore should not be bred.

SORE TEATS, SCABS, CRACKS, WARTS.

By the act of sucking, especially in cold weather, the teats are subject to abrasions, cracks, and scabs, and as the result of such irritation, or independently, warts sometimes grow and prove troublesome. The warts should be clipped off with sharp scissors and their roots burned with a solid pencil of lunar caustic. This is best done before parturition to secure healing before suckling begins. For sore teats use an ointment of vaseline 1 ounce, balsam of tolu 5 grains, and sulphate of zinc 5 grains.

DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM.

By M. R. TRUMBOWER, V. S.

[Revised by John R. Mohler, A. M., V. M. D.]

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM.

(Pl. XIX.)

The nervous system may be regarded as consisting of two sets of organs, peripheral and central, the function of one being to establish a communication between the centers and the different parts of the body, and that of the other to generate nervous force. The whole may be arranged under two divisions: First, the cerebrospinal system; second, the sympathetic or ganglionic system. Each is possessed of its own central and peripheral organs.

In the first, the center is made up of two portions--one large and expanded (the brain) placed in the cranial cavity; the other elongated (spinal cord), continuous with the brain, and lodged in the ca.n.a.l of the vertebral column. The peripheral portion of this system consists of the cerebrospinal nerves, which leave the axis in symmetrical pairs and are distributed to the skin, the voluntary muscles, and the organs.

In the second, the central organ consists of a chain of ganglia, connected by nerve cords, which extends on each side of the spine from the head to the rump. The nerves of this system are distributed to the involuntary muscles, mucous membrane, viscera, and blood vessels.

The two systems have free intercommunication, ganglia being at the junctions.

Two substances, distinguishable by their color, namely, the white or medullary and the gray or cortical substance, enter into the formation of nervous matter. Both are soft, fragile, and easily injured, in consequence of which the princ.i.p.al nervous centers are well protected by bony coverings. The nervous substances present two distinct forms--nerve fibers and nerve cells. An aggregation of nerve cells const.i.tutes a nerve ganglion.

The nerve fibers represent a conducting apparatus and serve to place the central nervous organs in connection with peripheral end organs. The nerve cells, however, besides transmitting impulses, act as physiological centers for automatic, or reflex, movements, and also for the sensory, perceptive, trophic, and secretory functions. A nerve consists of a bundle of tubular fibers, held together by a dense areolar tissue, and inclosed in a membranous sheath--the neurilemma.

Nerve fibers possess no elasticity, but are very strong. Divided nerves do not retract.

Nerves are thrown into a state of excitement when stimulated, and are, therefore, said to possess excitable or irritable properties. The stimuli may be applied to, or may act upon, any part of the nerve.

Nerves may be paralyzed by continuous pressure being applied. When the nerves divide into branches, there is never any splitting up of their ultimate fibers, nor yet is there ever any coalescing of them; they retain their individuality from their source to their termination.

Nerves which convey impressions to the centers are termed sensory, or centripetal, and those which transmit stimulus from the centers to organs of motion are termed motor, or centrifugal. The function of the nervous system may, therefore, be defined in the simplest terms, as follows: It is intended to a.s.sociate the different parts of the body in such a manner that stimulus applied to one organ may excite or depress the activity of another.