DISEASES OF THE GENEEATIVE ORGANS. 181 



compressed in the pelvic passages. With a posterior presentation the 

 abdomen may be punctured more easily either in the flank or with 

 a trocar and cannula through the anus. 



GENERAL DROPSY OF THE CALF. 



This occurs from watery blood or disease of some internal organ, 

 like the liver or kidney, and is recognized by the general puffed-up 

 and rounded condition of the body, which pits everywhere on pres- 

 sure but without crackling. If not too extreme a case, the calf may 

 be extracted after it has been very generally punctured over the 

 body, but usually the only resort is to extract it in pieces. (See 

 "Embryotomy," p. 202.) 



SWELLING OF THE CALF WITH GAS. 



This is usually the result of the death and decomposition of the 

 fetus when extraction has been delayed for a day or more after the 

 escape of the waters. It is impossible to extract it whole, owing to 

 its large size and the dry state of the skin of the calf, the membranes, 

 and the wall of the womb. These dry surfaces stick with such tenac- 

 ity that no attempt at traction leads to any advance of the calf out of 

 the womb or into the passages. When the fetus is advanced the 

 adherent womb advances with it, and when the strain is relaxed both 

 recede to where they were at first. The condition may be helped 

 somewhat by the free injection of oil into the womb, but it remains 

 impossible to extract the enormously bloated body, and the only 

 resort is to cut it in pieces and extract it by degrees. (See " Embryo- 

 tomy," p. 202.) 



RIGID CONTRACTIONS OF MUSCLES. 



In the development of the calf, as in after life, the muscles are 

 subject to cramps, and in certain cases given groups of muscles re- 

 main unnaturally short, so that even the bones grow in a twisted and 

 distorted way. In one case the head and neck are drawn round to 

 one side and can not be straightened out, even the bones of the face 

 and the nose being curved around to that side. In other cases the 

 flexor muscles of the fore legs are so shortened that the knees are 

 kept constantly bent and can not be extended by force. The bent 

 neck may sometimes be sufficiently straightened for extraction by 

 cutting across the muscles on the side to which it is turned, and the 

 bent knees by cutting the cords on the back of the shank bones just 

 below the knees. If this fails, there remains the resort of cutting 

 off the distorted limbs or head. (See " Embryotomy," p. 202.) 



TUMORS OF THE CALF (INCLOSED OVUM). 



Tumors or new growths grow on the unborn calf as on the mature 

 animal, and by increasing the diameter of the body render its prog- 



