DISEASES OF HORSES 337 







limbs are being pushed back may bring the head up so that it 

 bends on the neck only, and the further procedure will be as de- 

 scribed in the last paragraph. 



If the labor has been long in progress and the fetus is jammed 

 into the pelvis, the womb emptied of the waters and firmly con- 

 tracted on its solid contents, the case is incomparably more difficult. 

 The mare may be chloroformed and turned on her back with hind 

 parts elevated, and the womb may be injected with sweet oil. Then, 

 if the ear can be reached, the correction of the malpresentation may 

 be attempted as above described. Should this fail, one or more 

 sharp hooks may be inserted in the neck as near the head as can be 

 reached, and ropes attached to these may be dragged on, while the 

 body of the foal is pushed back by the fore limbs or by a repeller. 

 Such repulsion should be made in a direction obliquely upward 

 toward the loins of the mother, so as to rotate the fetus in such a 

 way as to bring the head up. As this is accomplished a hold should 

 be secured nearer and nearer to the nose, with hand or hook, until 

 the head can be straightened out on the neck. 



All means failing, it becomes necessary to remove the fore 

 limbs so as to make more space for bringing up the head. If, even 

 then, this can not be accomplished, it may be possible to push the 

 body backward and upward with the repeller until the hind limbs 

 are brought to the passage, when they may be noosed and delivery 

 effected with the posterior presentation. 



HEAD TURNED BACK ON THE SHOULDER. 



In this case the fore feet present, and the oiled hand passed 

 along the forearms in search of the missing head finds the side of 

 the neck turned to one side, the head being perhaps entirely out of 

 reach. To bring forward the head it may be desirable to lay the 

 mare on the opposite side to that to which the head is turned, and 

 even to give chloroform or ether. Then the feet being noosed, the 

 body of the fetus is pushed by the hand or repeller forward and 

 to the side opposite to that occupied by the head until the head 

 comes within reach, near the entrance of the pelvis. If such dis- 

 placement of the fetus is difficult, it may be facilitated by a free 

 use of oil or lard. When the nose can be seized it can be brought 

 into the passage, as when the head is turned down. If it can not 

 be reached, the orbit may be availed of to draw the head forward 

 until the nose can be seized or the lower jaw noosed. In very diffi- 

 cult cases a rope may be passed around the neck by the hand or 

 with the aid of a curved carrier, and traction may be made upon 

 this while the body is being rotated to the other side. In the same 

 way in bad cases a hook may be fixed in the orbit or even between 

 the bones of the lower jaw to assist in bringing the head up into 

 position. Should all fail, the amputation of the fore limbs may be 

 resorted to as advised under the last heading. 



HEAD TURNED UPWARD ON THE BACK. 



This differs from the last malpresentation only in the direction 

 of the head, which has to be sought above rather than at one side, 

 and is to be secured and brought forward in a similar manner. If a 



