Mare and Cow: genital excitement, mechanical injury, diseased ovary in
unimpregnated, ovulation with bleeding, falls, slings. Lesions: old
degenerations, productive inflammation, varicosities, aneurisms,
torpid vessels, blood staining, clots, follicular or not, ruptures
into peritoneum, amount, microbes usually absent. Symptoms: obscure,
arched, stiff loins, colics, recumbency, large tender ovary.
Shivering, fever, anorexia, anæmia, surface coldness, unsteadiness,
blood from vulva, liquid in abdomen fluctuates. Treatment: cold, ice,
snow, on loins, cold acid drinks, tannin, iron chloride, matico,
gelatine, subcutem atropin, ergotin, viburnum, derivatives,
castration.
This has been seen in the mare and cow especially in connection with
genetic excitement and mechanical injuries, and more especially
pre-existing disease of the ovary. Trasbot notes that it has always been
in the absence of pregnancy, a fact which we can easily explain on the
ground that most active diseases of the ovary render the animal barren.
Gestation like castration, calms the genetic instincts, and prevents the
recurrence of œstrum with its vascular excitement, general and ovarian,
which characterizes the unimpregnated condition. The normal rupture of
the Graafian follicle and escape of the ovum is attended by some
effusion of blood which passes through a series of changes preparatory
to absorption. A more extensive bleeding, at the time of œstrum or
otherwise, into a follicle or intrafollicular, and with or without
rupture of the albugenic tunic constitutes the morbid hæmorrhage. Among
mechanical causes may be named violent exertion, falls, and suspension
in slings.
_Lesions._ Some cases in mares and cows show old standing lesions, to
which the extravasation is secondary: a productive inflammation of the
ovarian stroma; varicosity of the ovarian veins; aneurism of the
utero-ovarian artery: the presence of emboli or thrombi. In the area of
the effusion there is a general turgescence of the vessels, and blood
staining of the stroma. Or there are distinct blood clots in the
follicles or between them, a few lines or an inch in diameter, buried in
the depth of the organ, or standing out in rounded swellings on its
surface, and sometimes with a rupture two or three inches in length, and
the escape of blood into the peritoneal cavity. This may be sufficient
merely to stain the peritoneal fluid, or it may amount to one or two
bucketfuls as in cases recorded by Barrow and Palat. In the absence of
rupture the effused blood may completely surround the ovary, or may
accumulate in one or several of its distended follicles. The effused
blood is rarely septic, being usually free from microbes, and it may
remain fluid in the peritoneum, or coagulate in the ovary. The enlarged
follicle may contain a dark red fluid, in which floats a solid clot,
varying in color from dark red to light yellow, according to age.
_Symptoms._ These vary greatly with the extent of the lesion, and are
always somewhat obscure. With slight interstitial or intrafollicular
effusion, there may be only some general disorder, with, it may be,
arching and stiffness of the loins, colicy pains, a desire for
recumbency, and enlargement and tenderness of the ovary on rectal
examination. In more severe cases as noticed by Cordonnier, Saucour and
Palat in mares, by Laponsée in the ass, and Renault in the cow, there
were shivering, hyperthermia, respiratory and cardiac acceleration,
congested mucosæ, dull colicy pains, and anorexia, followed by
indications of anæmia, small, weak, rapid pulse, pale mucosæ, coldness
of ears and legs (in cows, of muzzle and horns), violent heart action,
indisposition or inability to rise, unsteadiness on the limbs when up,
and in some cases the escape of blood from the vulva. By rectal
examination the enlarged, tender, doughy ovary may be characteristic and
the fluctuation of liquid in the peritoneal cavity, which may also be
recognized by manipulation of the flank.
_Treatment._ This should be directed toward checking the hæmorrhage:
Cold water or ice, on loins or flank: injections of cold water: cold
water or acids or astringents by the mouth: tannic acid: iron chloride:
matico: gelatine: atropine, ergotin. By way of quieting ovarian
excitement, viburnum prunifolium or opium may be tried. Sterilized
solutions of gelatine may be given subcutem. Mustard or ammonia may be
applied to limbs or flank. In case of survival, castration will be
indicated.