On Feb. 4, 1954, a 2-year-old Shorthorn heifer was admitted to the clinic with the history of being bred 3 months previously by a bull that was reportedly settling other cows in the herd. Six weeks later, there was a persistent discharge from the genital tract.

That there are potential dangers associated with ionizing radiation has been recognized almost from the time of discovery of x-rays by Wilhelm Roentgen in 1895. During the past 50 years there have appeared numerous accounts and warnings of these dangers in the medical literature. In more recent years there have been several authoritative articles in veterinary literature describing x-ray hazards and protection recommendations.

On July 26, 1954, a 2-year old Holstein cow with a very large pendulous udder entered the Stange Memorial Clinic. It was noticed that the swelling had extended dorsally from the udder into the flank area of the right side. It appeared that the suspensory ligaments were also broken down.