178 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



shoulder in the direction of the missing limb is enabled to reach and 

 seize the forearm just below the elbow. The body is now pushed 

 back by the assistants pressing on the head and presenting limb or 

 on a repeller j^lanted in the breast until the knee can be brought up 

 into the pelvis, after which the procedure is the same as described in 

 the last j)aragraph. 



HEAD BENT DOWN BETWEEN THE FORE LIMBS. 



This may be so that the poll or nape of the neck, with the ears, can 

 be felt far back between the fore limbs, or so that only the upper 

 border of the neck can be reached, head and neck being bent back 

 beneath the body. With the head only bent on the neck, noose the 

 two presenting limbs, then introduce the hand between them until 

 the nose can be seized in the palm of the hand. Next have the assist- 

 ants push back the presenting limbs, while the nose is strongly lifted 

 upward over the brim of the pelvis. This accomplished, it assumes 

 the natural j^osition and parturition is easy. 



When both head and neck are bent downward it may be impossible 

 to reach the nose. If, however, the labor has only commenced, the 

 limbs may be drawn upon until the operator can reach the ear, by 

 dragging on which the head may be so far advanced that the fingers 

 may reach the orbit; traction upon this while the limbs are being 

 pushed back may bring the head up so that it bends on the neck only, 

 and the further procedure will be as described in the last paragraph. 



If the labor has been long in progress and the fetus is jammed into 

 the pelvis, the womb emptied of the waters and firmly contracted on 

 its solid contents, the case is incomparably more difficult. The mare 

 may be chloroformed and turned on her back with hind parts ele- 

 vated, and the womb may be injected with sweet oil. Then, if the 

 ear can be reached, the correction of the malpresentation ma}^ be at- 

 tempted as above described. Should this fail, one or more sharp 

 hooks may be inserted in the neck as near the head as can be reached, 

 and ropes attached to these may be dragged on, while the body of the 

 foal is pushed back by the fore limbs or by a repeller. Such repul- 

 sion should be made in a direction obliquely upward toward the loins 

 of the mother, so as to rotate the fetus in such a way as to bring the 

 head up. As this is accomplished a hold should be secured nearer 

 and nearer to the nose, with hand or hook, until the head can be 

 straightened out on the neck. 



All means failing, it becomes necessary to remove the fore limbs 

 (embryotomy) so as to make more space for bringing up the head. 

 If, even then, this can not be accomplished, it may be possible to 

 push the bod}'^ backward and upward with the repeller until the hind 

 limbs are brought to the j^assage, when they may be noosed and 

 delivery effected with the posterior presentation. 



