DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 191 



nul could be removed piecemeal by forcei)s. Foituniitely, mares 

 all'ected in tliis w.iy rarely breed. 



Fecal impaction of the rectum. — In some animals, w ith more or 

 less paralysis or ^veakness of the tail and reetiim, the rectum may be- 

 come so impacted with solid feces that the mare is iinahle to discharire 

 them, and the accumulation both by reason of the mechanical ob- 

 struction and the pain caused by pressure uj)on it will im|)('l the 

 animal to cut short all labor i)ains. The rounded swelling surround- 

 ing the anus will at once suggest the condition, when the obstruction 

 may be removed by the well-oiled or well-soaped hand. 



Spasm of the neck of the womb. — This occurs in the mare of 

 specially excitable temperament, or under particular causes of irrita- 

 tion, local or general. Labor pains, though continuing for some time, 

 produce no dilatatiim of the neck of the womb, which will be found 

 firmly closed so as to admit but one or two fingers; this, although the 

 projection at the mouth of the womb may have been entirely effaced, 

 so that a simple round opening is left, with rigid nuirgins. 



The simplest treatment consists in smearing this part with i^olid 

 extract of belhuhmna, and after an interval inserting the hand with 

 fingers and thumb drawn into the form of a cone, rupturing the 

 membranes and bringing the fetus into position for extraction, as 

 advised under " Prolonged retention of the fetus." Another mode 

 is to insert through the neck of the womb an ovoid rubber bag, 

 empty, and furnished with an elastic tube 12 feet long. Carry the 

 free end of this tube upward to a height of R, 10, or 12 feet, insert 

 a filler into it, and proceed to distend the bag with t^pid or warm 

 water. 



Fibrous bands constricting or crossing the neck of the womb. — 

 These, occurring as the result of disease, have been several times 

 observed in the mare. They may exist in the cavity of the abdomen 

 and compress and obstruct the neck of the womb, or they may extend 

 from side to side of the vagina across and just behind the neck of tlu* 

 womb. In the latter position they may be felt and quickly remedied 

 by cutting them across. In the abdomen they can be reached only by 

 incision, and two alternatives are pi-esented : ( 1 ) To perform embry- 

 otomy and extract the fetus piecemeal, and (2) to make an incision 

 into the abdomen and extract by the Ca'sai'can opeiation, or simply to 

 cut the constricting band and attempt delivery by the usual chatHM'l. 



Fibrous constriction of vaoina or vulva. — This is probably al- 

 ways the result of direct mechanical injury and the formation of 

 rigid cicatrices which fail to dilate with the remainder of the pa.s- 

 sages at the approach of parturition. Tin- presentation of the fetus 

 in the natural way and the occunence of successive and active labor 

 pains without any favorable lesult will direct attention to the rigid 

 and unyielding cicatrices which may be incised at one. two. or more 



