230 



A DICTIONARY. 



fluid escapes early in calving, and before 

 the moutli of the uterus is sulliciently ex- 

 panded, the process is often slow, and it is 

 a considerable time before any part of the 

 calf makes its appearance. The practice 

 of hurrying the process by introducing the 

 hand, or driving the animal about when 

 symptoms of calving appear, is very impro- 

 per. It has been known in many instances 

 to cause the animal's death. It sometimes 

 appears that a wrong presentation takes 

 place, and renders the calving impracticable 

 without assistance. In such cases it is 

 necessary to introduce the hand in order to 

 ascertain the position of the calf, and change 

 it when it is found unfavorable. When, 

 for example, the head presents without the 

 fore legs, which are bent under the breast, 

 it cannot, in this position, be well drawn 

 away without danger. In this case the calf 

 should be gently pushed back in the uterus, 

 placing the cow in the most favorable 

 position, and taking the opportunity for so 

 doing while there are no pains nor straining. 

 When the calf is pushed back, the fore legs 

 are to be carefully drawn downward, in a 

 line with the head, and brought out into the 

 vagina. The author has known several 

 cases, where parturition was seemingly dif- 

 ficult, of a resort to force in extracting the 

 calf ; but it should be recollected that nature 

 is never to be interfered with in the process 

 of deKvery, or in any of her operations, 

 unless it is clearly ascertained that assist- 

 ance is necessary. When much force is 

 used in drawing the calf, and especially if 

 the animal be rather fat, a disease of the 

 womb is apt to follow, puerperal fever sets 

 in, which often proves fatal. Great mis- 

 chief is also done by endeavoring to extract 

 the calf without regard to its position in the 

 uterus : it is sometimes so placed that de- 

 livery is not practicable until the position 

 of the calf is shifted. When much force 

 is used in drawing the calf, it sometimes 

 happens that the womb falls out or is in- 

 verted, and great care is required in putting 

 it back, so that it may remain in its situa- 

 tion. In doing so, there is an advantage 

 derived from placing the cow in such a 



position that the hind parts may be higher 

 than the fore. If any dust or straw remain 

 about the womb, they should be carefully 

 removed before the womb is put back. A 

 linen cloth is then to be put under the 

 womb, which is to be held by two assistants. 

 The cdw should be made to rise, that being 

 the most favorable position, and the opera- 

 tor is then to grasp the mouth of the womb 

 with both hands, and gently retm-n it. 

 When so returned, one hand is to be im- 

 mediately withdrawn, while the other re- 

 mains to prevent that part from falling 

 down again. The hand at liberty is then 

 to grasp another portion of the womb, which 

 is to be pushed into the body lilie the former, 

 and retained with one hand. This is to be 

 repeated until the whole of the womb is 

 put back ; if the womb does not contract, 

 friction with a brush around the belly and 

 back may excite the muscles to contraction: 

 should this fail, the animal may have an 

 astringent and aromatic drink, made by in- 

 fusing three ounces of ground poplar bark 

 in about three pints of hot water; when 

 cool, administer with a horn or bottle, taking 

 care, while pouring down the oesophagus, 

 to let it fall gently and gradually ; by that 

 means it will pass over the pillars of the 

 OEsophagean canal, and on to the third 

 stomach ; otherwise it would fall into the 

 rumen, and defeat the object in view. 



Camphor. — A narcotic vegetable concre- 

 tion. This medicine, says Dr. White, " is 

 employed both internally and externally. It 

 is given inwardly as an anti-spasmodic, as 

 in lockjaw, when it is commonly joined with 

 opium ; and as a febrifuge, or fever medi- 

 cine, joined with nitre and antimonial 

 powder." Mr. Morton writes : Camphor 

 has been occasionally given in tympanitis, 

 and it has been supposed to act by rousing 

 the vital energies. In a state of fine powder 

 it is sometimes sprinkled over a linseed- 

 meal poultice, when it has been found to 

 allay irritation ; although, as a sedative, thus 

 applied, it is not equal to the extract of the 

 deadly nightshade. 



On account of its sedative influence, it 

 may be advantageously combined with 



