Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-05-20


far more rare.
a case Of cystic degeneration Of the
ovaries has recently been investigated
by the biologists Of the Maine Agri-
cultural Experiment Station. and the
results there obtained suggest a
possible line Of treatment for this
condition.
The case history was as follows:
A pure-bred registered Ayrshire COW,
| named Dorothy of Orono (23010). be-
longing to the University Of Maine,
produced three calves. on dates as fol-
lows: September II. 1909, September
10. 1910. February "a, 1912. When 3
years and s27 days old Dorothy OF
Orono was started on an official milk
| test Of one year, which she complete1
| with record Of 1146S lbs. Of milk,
carrying AIM lbs. of butter fat. For
! this record she was entered as NO.
1885 in the Ayrshire Advanced Regis
try. During her first lactation she
was BIG days in milk, gave 7S40.6 lbs
Of milk containing 1882 lbs. Of fat.
Her second lactation was the one on
! which she made advanced registry
and has already been given. Her third
lactation began February 26, 1912, and
ended March "a, 1918. She gave 7016.s
lbs. Of milk containing 1882 lbs. OF
fat. One reason for the low record
In this lactation is that she was sick
for some time during the period.
After March "a, 1913. the COW never
gave any milk. The udder rapidly
CHI cd
animal began to show the external
characteristics of bull. This change
was very slight at first, but soon be-
came much more marked. After a
lapse of months the general ex-
ternal appearance and the behavior D.
the COW were like those Of bull to
remarkable degree. The neck had be
come thickened in it's posterior parts,
and had developed we'll marked
crest, as is characteristic of a bull.
If the COW had been so screened thai
only her forequarters and neck were
visible any observer would nave un-
questionably pronounced her a male.
The assumption of male characters Ill
these regions was complete and per-
feet. In the headquarters the change
from characteristic female conforma
tior, in the male direction. while less
striking than in the anterior parts.
was still clearly evident. The udder
shrank away to very small size.
The hips and rump took on the
smooth, rounded, filled-out appear
ance which is characteristic of the
bull but not of the COW.
The COW was slaughtered on Febru-
airy IS, 1914. Autopsy showed as the
only gross abnormality a simple cystic
condition Of the ovaries. Under the
microscope these cystic ovaries diff
fered from the normal cows ovary III
but one essential respect. namely that
| they had no corpora lutea corpus
luteum or yellow body, is peculiar
l'cellular structure which forms in the
ovaries of animals which give milk.
where an ovum has been discharged
This yellow body pours into the blooi
a chemical substance. which is known
to have the function Cd of preventing
the ovary from discharging any more
oya, and 90 of preventing the animal
coming in heat during the course of
pTeSuaHCS
The results of this study suggest. as
worthy a trial. the injection of corpus
luteum substance, which can be oo-
tanned from large drug manufacturing
concerns, as a therapeutic measure in
these cases of cystic degeneration.
There is some reason to believe that
if the. case were not of too long stand
ing a cure might be affected by this
means. 1t must be understood that
in the light of present knowledge
this is merely a suggestion, and is not
put forth as a guaranteed cure IN any
sense Of the word whatever. 1t
would. however, seem worth a trial.
The use of this material for some
what analogous conditions in human
medicine has met with marked sue
cess in some cases.