In some the genital erethism is absent from the first. There is dullness, prostration, anorexia, fever, hurried breathing, small rapid pulse, colicy pains, tender abdomen, difficult defecation, coated dung, a glairy (perhaps reddish or fœtid) discharge from the vulva, hot, tumid tender mammæ, arched and sensitive loins, and stiffness of the hind limbs.
In all cases alike a rectal examination detects the ovary swollen and exceedingly tender.
Cow. The same general symptoms appear with characteristic modifications. Restlessness, bellowing, pawing, inappetence, arched, tender loins, swollen vulva with discharge, shiny and perhaps fœtid but without contractions, abdomen pendent and flanks hollow and tender, udder turgid, hot and painful, movements of the hind limbs stiff, halting, straddling. There is greater tendency to salacious movements of the croup. The diagnostic feature is palpation of the ovary through the rectum.
In chronic cases more or less of the above symptoms are shown in a greatly mitigated form, but oftentimes there are long intervals of apparent health. Palpation through the rectum is the final test in this as in the more acute cases.
Prognosis. This is very uncertain. Unless complete recovery takes place in a few weeks, the inevitable consequence is sterility, or death from hæmorrhage, peritonitis, pyæmia, or marasmus.
Treatment. In acute cases Trasbot strongly urges bleeding in the larger races and leeching of the flanks in the smaller. Mustard plasters to the loins and abdomen, and cold or damp applications to the croup are in order. Vaginal and rectal injections of mucilaginous liquids, containing anodynes and antiseptics are indicated. Opium, belladonna, hyoscyamus, chloral, borax, acetate of aluminium may serve as examples. If needful to quiet the excitement, morphia, atropia or hyoscyamine may be given subcutem. Or the anodynes may be administered by the mouth. As a last resort, and by far the most radical treatment, castration may be performed. With small ovaries this is best done through the vagina in the larger animals, while with large and adherent ones the flank operation is imperative. If the peritoneum is involved, careful antisepsis of the cavity is desirable. In case of adhesions the operation may be risky, but if successful it will obviate secondary infections and establish a permanent cure. Complications must be treated according to their nature.
OVARIAN CYSTS.
Mare, cow, ewe, sow, bitch, hen. Forms. Histogenesis. Dilated vesicles, egg tubes, blood obstruction. Lesions: Ovary large, smooth, lobulated, vascular, size, connective tissue, epithelium, liquid contents. Abscess. Symptoms: impaired portal circulation, muco-enteritis, piles, intestinal torpor, impaction, constriction, obstruction, congestions, inflammation. Urinary disorder. Strangulation. Sterility. Abortion. Dystokia. Indigestion. Anorexia. Colic. Genital erethism. Straining. Altered Urine. Peritonitis. Septic infection. Collapse. Rectal palpation, enlarged, sensitive ovary. Treatment: Castration. Tapping cyst. Rupturing cyst by compression.
These have been met with in all races of domestic animals, mare, cow, ewe, sow, bitch and hen. They vary greatly in their characters, being unilocular, multilocular, rounded or lobulated, serous, albuminous, colloid or hæmorrhagic, strictly ovarian or parovarian (in broad ligaments), in one ovary or in both.
Histogenesis. The source of these cysts has been much debated. Many have held with Spencer Wells that they have their origin in dilated Graafian vesicles, and the discovery of an ovum in the contents, by Rokitansky and Ritchie showed at least that this follicle had formed part of the cyst. On the other hand Foster, Rivolta, Klebs, Malassez and others, constantly failed to find ova or other distinct elements of the Graafian follicles, but did find epithelial elements, and note that the cysts are at an early stage connected with the surface of the ovary like the egg tubes. These embryonic tubules of Pflueger are therefore held to be the starting point for the cysts, which because of their mixed epithelial as well as liquid contents, seem allied to adenoma. From observations on the ovarian cysts of the lower animals Galtier, attaches great importance to vascular obstructions. Obstruction by pressure or otherwise led to hæmorrhages and transudation of blood, and the cavities formed in this way became the seats of epithelial growth, and liquid effusion. The blood remained for a time as distinct clots, and was later indicated by the pigmentation of the walls of the cyst.