DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 39 



market. The diaphragm was in place and the viscera 

 in their normal situations, but the neck was doubled 

 backward and the head lay back on the dorsal portion 

 of the spine, which explained why I had been unable to 

 find it on making the manual examination. I believe 

 the fetus had been alive up to the time of my manipu- 

 lations, but probably died while corning through the 

 outlet from pressure or perhaps some other cause. At 

 any rate it did not breathe after being born. The cow 

 progressed in the normal way after delivery. We will 

 now consider a few of the more common presentations 

 in which assistance is required, 



If there is a normal presentation and the water-bag 

 lias ruptured, the operator can frequently cause a com- 

 plete delivery by simply oiling the parts, taking hold 

 of the legs above the feet, and pulling strongly at the 

 same time that the animal has the pains. In this man- 

 ner the fetus comes nearer to complete expulsion at 

 each period of labor pains. If it cannot be accomplished 

 in this way, ropes or strong cords should be applied 

 above the feet and given to assistants. The operator, 

 passing the hand up, tries to place the head in an easy 

 position for exit, and he may at the same time use trac- 

 tion on one of the jaws, while the assistants exert trac- 

 tion on the cords or ropes at the time of pains, thus as- 

 sisting delivery. 



FETUS WITH FORE=LinBS BENT AT THE 

 KNEE. Figure 12. Sometimes one knee only is bent, 

 at other times both. This is usually a difficult presen- 

 tation to remedy unless the attempt be made early. The 

 hand should be passed back alongside of the neck and 

 the limb grasped just above the knee and pushed back, 



