' BREEDING OF 



frequently mated with small females, in which case 

 the fetal animals will probably be larger than the 

 mother can expel under normal conditions of labor. 

 Difficult parturition is much more dangerous in mares 

 than in cows. It is said that if labor is delayed more 

 than three or four hours in the mare the death of the 

 fetus is sure to result, whereas in the cow it frequently 

 happens that parturition is delayed from 24 to 48 hours 

 without any disastrous result to the fetus. However* 

 where labor is delayed over a reasonable time, no delay 

 should be allowed, but an attempt made to discover in 

 what position the fetus is placed. In order to do this 

 the hand should be well oiled, and inserted into the 

 vagina, and if the opening into the uterus is suf- 

 ficiently dilated, the hand should be carried into that 

 organ also. By this time some of the fetus will be felt. 

 If it is a limb, an attempt should be made to discover 

 whether it is a fore or hind limb. This will be easily 

 determined if the hand is carried as far up the limb as 

 the knee or hock. If it is a hind leg, the joint of the 

 hock will be felt. It should also be remembered that 

 the hock joint bends in the opposite direction to that of 

 the knee. If it is a fore leg, an attempt should be 

 made to find its mate, and also to try and feel the head, 

 and discover if the nose is pointing toward the vagina 

 If it is a hind limb, an attempt should be made to find 

 the other and feel if the tail is coming toward the uter- 

 ine opening. While making these explorations it should 

 also be noticed whether it is an extraordinarily large 

 fetus or not, or anything that may be peculiar about 

 it. And here I may mention that in my practice I 

 have found one case in which the uterus was twisted an 



