Extra ovaries have been found in different cases in the human female, the additional organ being furnished with a fallopian tube, and in some instances an extra uterine horn. No facts are at hand concerning the lower animals, but the occurrence of gestation and the birth of a single puppy a year after careful castration, would seem to suggest that the condition occurs in the bitch. There is no embryological reason why the lower animals should not at times show this deviation from the normal.
IRRITABLE OVARY. NEURALGIA OF THE OVARY.
This has been noticed most commonly in the mare, which from a quiet docile animal, has become very ticklish, especially in the region of the flank, kicking on the slightest touch, or even when approached and showing an amount of nervous apprehension, that may render her useless, for work. The ovaries are usually found to be enlarged, diseased and very sensitive. Œstrum may be in some cases constant and excessive and in others entirely suspended. Such cases are difficult or dangerous to shoe. In one case recorded by Thierry, handling of the flank promptly induced an epileptic attack. Cows with nymphomania (bullers) are often victims of this condition. The only remedy is castration, which is best performed by the vagina. The shorter the period of the irritability the more perfect is the cure. In some old standing cases the vicious habit may have become so fixed, that it is continued in spite of the operation.
HÆMORRHAGE ON THE OVARY.
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.