PARTURITION AND PROTRACTED LABOUR 333 



(although in some districts she is made to stand in the fashion 

 portrayed in the tomb-paintings of ancient Egypt), and the 

 pulling, which is done by the fore-legs, should not be straight 

 but inclining slightly towards the hocks of the cow, one 

 man distending and freeing the os vagina with his hands. 

 A cow should, as a rule, be made to rise immediately after 

 calving to prevent after-straining. If the animal be exhausted 

 and there is no pressing, she may be watched and allowed to 

 rest for a few minutes. She should have a short drink (say 

 I gallon) of cold water with a little oatmeal thrown into it, 

 and this may be repeated every few hours until thirst is 

 quenched. It is an unnecessary precaution to warm the 

 water, and a cow will often not drink it warm. All that is 

 necessary is to beware of giving too much at a time to chill her. 



In protracted labour stimulants are required, as one pint 

 bottle of whisky, a quart bottle or more of beer, or half an 

 ounce of carbonate of ammonia. A mouthful of cold water 

 is also beneficial. 



The Common Causes of Protracted Labour are: 

 I. False presentations. 2. Death or deformity of the calf, at 

 times necessitating the cutting up and removal of it in pieces. 

 Sometimes it becomes mummified, and remains in the womb 

 for years : the cow coming in season, but being unable to 

 breed. At other times it rots, and is discharged from time to 

 time in small pieces or as disintegrated putrid matter. In 

 such a case the animal is liable to get into a very lean con- 

 dition and poor state of health, and may even die of blood- 

 poisoning. 3. Disease, or abnormality of any of the internal 

 reproductive organs. 



The " cleansing " hangs for a time after the calf is born, 

 but should drop within a few hours. Treatment. Give open- 

 ing food stuffs, as linseed tea, bran-mashes, and treacle. 



Abortion frequently takes place soon after the cow has 

 conceived, or within the first month, then the circumstance is 

 rarely noticed by the attendant. When a cow calves before 

 her time, usually from the fifth or sixth month onwards, she 

 is said to " slink," " cast," " slip," or " pick " calf. The calf is 

 usually dead, but it may be alive and continue to live if born 

 so early as the seventh month, while calves born at the eighth 

 month die. The loss to the owner is generally great, as there 

 is, as a rule, no adequate preparation by the cow for milking, 



