88 KEEPING ONE COW. 



on short rations for a few days administering, as one writer 

 terms it, "judicious starvation." The feed of roots is continued, 

 as they exert a laxative effect on the bowels and tissues, thereby 

 obviating the necessity of giving a huge dose of Epsom Salts. 

 In an experience of fifteen years, by following this plan of 

 restricting the diet, I have not had a case of milk fever, apo- 

 plexy, or retention of placenta, and but one case which called for 

 assistance, and this was due wholly to an accident. When a single 

 cow is kept, she is, of course, exempt from the ill consequences 

 which so often result from crowding and fighting with other cows, 

 and, if kindly treated and provided with comfortable accommoda- 

 tions for feeding and shelter, she will seldom have any trouble. 

 But cases where assistance is indispensable do sometimes occur, 

 even under the best management, the most frequent of which is 

 the retention of the placenta or after- birth. If, at the end of 

 twenty-four hours, the cow has not "cleaned," it is then time to 

 undertake the removal of the placenta. Tins can be accomplished 

 by carefully introducing the right arm of a man having a small 

 hand, which should previously be well greased, into the cavity of 

 the uterus, when the connecting attachments will readily be found 

 and may be separated, after which the whole may be brought 

 away. These attachments are often quite numerous, and care 

 should be taken that all are detached, and that the whole of the 

 after-birth is removed, as serious results sometimes occur when a 

 portion of it is retained. 



If, from any cause, the foetus has got into an unnatural position, 

 or shows any other presentation than that of the two fore feet and 

 muzzle, natural labor may be rendered impossible, and assistance 

 will be required in order to set matters right. There are several 

 abnormal positions m which the calf may be presented, while 

 there are but two positions in which delivery is practicable. In 

 the natural position the two fore feet and nose are the parts 

 which make their first appearance. When this is the case we may 

 generally conclude that our services will not be required. If, en 

 the other hand, there is any alteration of this position, either by 

 the absence of the head or of one or both feet, or if, when labor 

 pains have continued for some time, there is no presentation at all, 

 it will be necessary to investigate the cause. The owner's duty, in 

 cases of this nature, will be to restore it, by judicious manipula- 

 tion, to its normal position, or to such a position as will render 

 delivery practicable. If, from the nature of the case, the fore legs 

 and nose of the foetus cannot be brought into such a position, we 



