DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 195 



In neglected cases, with death and putrefaction of the fetus and 

 dryness of the passages, it may be necessary to extract in pieces. (See 

 "Embryotomy," p. 202.) 



Outward direction of the stif,es — Abduction of hind limbs. — As an 

 obstacle to parturition, this is rare in cows. It is most liable to 

 take place in cows with narrow hip bones, and when the service has 

 been made by a bull having great breadth across the quarter. The 

 calf, taking after the sire, presents an obstacle to calving in the 

 breadth of its quarters, and if at the same time the toes and stifles 

 are turned excessively outward and the hocks inward the combined 

 breadth of the hip bones above and the stifles below may be so great 

 that the pelvis will not easily admit them. After the forefeet, head, 

 and shoulders have all passed out through the vulva, further progress 

 suddenly and unaccountably ceases, and some dragging on the parts 

 already delivered does not serve to bring away the hind parts. The 

 oiled hand introduced along the side of the calf will discover the 

 obstacle in the stifle joints turned directly outward and projecting 

 on each side beyond the bones which circumscribe laterally the front 

 entrance of the pelvis. The evident need is to turn the stifles in- 

 ward ; this may be attempted by the hand introduced by the side of 

 the calf, which is meanwhile rotated gently on its own axis to favor 

 the change of position. To correct the deviation of the hind limb is, 

 however, very difficult, as the limbs themselves are out of reach and 

 can not be used as levers to assist. If nothing can be done by push-, 

 ing the body of the calf back and rotating it and by pressure by the 

 hand in the passages, the only resort appears to be to skin the calf 

 from the shoulder back, cut it in two as far back as can be reached, 

 then push the buttocks w^ell forward into the womb, bring up the 

 hind feet, and so deliver. 



Hind limbs excessively bent on the body and engaged in the pel- 

 vis. — In this case the presentation is apparently a normal, anterior 

 one ; fore limbs and head advanced naturally and the parturition pro- 

 ceeds until half the chest has passed through the external passages, 

 when suddenly progress ceases and no force will effect farther ad- 

 vance. An examination with the oiled hand detects the presence, in 

 the passages, of the hind feet and usually the hind legs up to above 

 the hocks. (PL XVII, fig. 1.) 



The indications for treatment are to return the hind limbs into 

 the body of the womb. If they have not advanced too far into the 

 pelvis, this may be done as follows: A rope with running noose is 

 passed over each hind foot and drawn tight around the lower part of 

 the hock : the ropes are then passed through the two rings in the small 

 end of the rotating instrument (PI. XX, fig. 5) which is slid into the 

 passages until it reaches the hocks, when the ropes, drawn tight, are 



