A study of some factors influencing fertility and sterility in the bullGilman, Herbert Lester
Science
A study of some factors influencing fertility and sterility in the bull
Gilman, Herbert Lester
Cattle; Infertility in animals; Livestock; Thesis (Ph. D.)
Of the sixteen bulls in Group III, slaughtered at abattoirs, and in
which no history was available, eight failed to show the presence of any
organisms in their genitalia. Of the others, the vesicles yielded
cultures of _Staphylococcus albus_ nine times, and _streptococci_ four
times. _Staphylococcus albus_ was recovered once from the prostate, and
once from Cowper’s glands. The testes gave cultures of staphylococci in
two cases, and _Bact. abortum_ in one. No observable anatomical changes
accompanied the presence of the Bang bacillus in this case. The
epididymes showed growths of staphylococci five times, and streptococci
on three occasions. _Streptococci_ were isolated from the scrotal sacs
of eight testes.
The results in Group IV (aborted fetuses) show that bacteria are often
present in the seminal vesicles or testes of these animals. As a rule,
however, the organisms are identical with those isolated from the blood
or other parts of the animal. This is to be expected, however, for
because of the feeble resistance of the fetus to any infection, the
organisms circulating in the blood may be isolated, as a rule, from many
different organs and tissues. All samples of blood set with _Bact.
abortum_ antigen were negative, irrespective of whether or not the
organism was recovered from the blood or other tissues. This is in
accordance with the findings of Carpenter in the female fetus,—the
resistance is so feeble that few or no antibodies are formed to combat
any existing infection. _Bact. abortum_ was recovered in two cases from
the vesicles, and in four cases from the testes, but in each instance
the same organism was present in the blood or other tissues of the body.
The results from the tracts of the calves dying of calf infections are
given in Group V, and show that five were negative. The other two showed
_B. coli_, staphylococci, and streptococci, in the organs indicated by
the chart.
In Group VI, the mature infertile or sterile bulls, there was a
comparatively wide variation in the type of organisms encountered, but
streptococci and micrococci were the most common invaders. In the order
of the frequency of infection, the organs would be enumerated as
follows: Vesicles, epididymis (usually the tail), scrotal sac, testes,
prostate, and Cowper’s glands. The first three parts mentioned usually
contained bacteria. A streptococcus was the usual invader of the scrotal
sac, and very probably was the cause of the connective tissue tufts and
strands so frequently seen. The vesicles and epididymes gave, in the
order of the frequency of their occurrence, staphylococci, streptococci,
_B. coli_, and _Ps. pyocyaneus_. The streptococci were usually of the
viridans group, though a few were hemolytic, and two strains were
indifferent to blood. The testes gave growths in only eleven
instances,—staphylococci eight times, streptococci two times, and an
unidentified rod once. The prostate yielded staphylococci twice and
Cowper’s gland once.
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