186 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



Head and fore feet presented — Back turned to one side. — The calf 

 has a greater diameter from above down (spine to breastbone) than 

 it has from side to side, and the same is true of the passage of the 

 pelvis of the cow, which measures, on an average, 8yV inches from 

 above downward and 7f\y inches from side to side. Hence the calf 

 passes most easily with its back upward, and when turned with its 

 back to one side calving is always tardy and may be difficult or im- 

 possible. The obvious remedy is to rotate the calf on its own axis 

 until its spine turns toward the spine of the cow. The operation is 

 not difficult if the body of the calf is not yet fixed in the passages. 

 The presenting feet are twisted over each other in the direction 

 desired, and this is continued until the head and spine have assumed 

 their proper place. If the body is firmly engaged in the passages the 

 skin of the whole engaged portion should be freely lubricated with 

 lard, and the limbs and head twisted over each other as above. The 

 limbs may be twisted by an assistant when the head is manipulated 

 by the operator, who drags on the rope turned halfway round the 

 limbs and assists in the rotation with his other hand in the passages. 



Head and fore feet presented — Bwclc turned down toward the 

 udder. — This position (PI. XVI, fig. 6) is unnatural, and the parturi- 

 tion is difficult for two reasons: First, the natural curvature of the 

 fetus is opposed to the natural curvature of the passages ; and, second, 

 the thickest part of the body of the calf (the upper) is engaged in 

 the narrowest part of the passage of the pelvis (the lower). Yet 

 unless the calf is especially large and the pelvis of the cow narrow, 

 parturition may usualW be accomplished in this way spontaneously 

 or with very little assistance in the way of traction on the limbs. If 

 this can not be accomplished, two courses are open: First, to rotate 

 the calf as when the back is turned to one side ; second, to push back 

 the presenting fore limbs and head and search for and bring up the 

 hind limbs, when the presentation will be a natural, posterior one. 



Presentation of the hind feet with the hack turned to one side or 

 downward. — These are the exact counterparts of the two conditions 

 last described, are beset with similar drawbacks, and are to be dealt 

 with on the same general principles. (PI. XVII, fig. 4.) With the 

 back turned to one side the body should be rotated until the back 

 turns toward the spine of the dam, and with the back turned down 

 it must be extracted in that position (care being taken that the feet 

 do not perforate the roof of the vagina) or it must be rotated on its 

 own axis until the back turns upward, or the hind limbs must be 

 pushed back and the fore limbs and head advanced, when the pres- 

 entation will be a natural anterior one. 



Impaction of twins in the passage. — It is very rare to have twins 

 enter the passages together so as to become firmly impacted. As a 

 rule, each of the twins has its own separate membranes, and as the 



