222 BRITISH SHEEP AND SHEPHERDING. 



the application of a West's clamp or by large stitches, and ewes 

 have lambed successfully, despite so serious an accident before 

 yeaning -time, but one to which this has happened should not 

 again be run with the tup. The subject will be again referred to 

 as a post partum accident. 



MAL-PBESENTATIONS. 



The normal presentation for a single lamb is that of head and 

 fore legs, the feet being a little in advance of the muzzle. In the 

 case of twins, it most often happens that the second to be born 

 comes with the hind feet first. Neither of these positions should 

 present any difficulty unless the lamb is abnormally large or the 

 ewe unnaturally small, or the labour a dry one, as it is called. 

 A dry labour is the result of previous leaking away of the amniotic 

 fluid or contents of the lamb-bag. It may have dribbled away a 

 little at a time, or the bag which should come first and fill the 

 passage and prepare the way may have prematurely ruptured 

 without the succeeding labour pains being energetic enough to 

 expel the foetus. Then the normal lubrication is wanting, and 

 greater striving becomes necessary in order that the lamb may 

 be born. The observant shepherd will have noted a leaker, and 

 perhaps a breaker, and will then give that early assistance which 

 is, in the majority of cases, to be deprecated, for it is always a 

 temptation to the accoucheur to act too soon rather than to assure 

 himself of a correct position of the foetus and wait for the normal 

 efforts to eject the lamb in due time. The man who has attended 

 foaling mares must reverse his views. The mare must give birth 

 quickly or the foal will be dead. The ewe may be quite a long time 

 in labour and bring forth alive. 



Manual Aid. The ewe that is seen to strain without result 

 should be secured with gentle, but firm, handling, and the position 

 made out by examination with hands prepared by dressing with 

 carbolic oil or a watery solution of some other disinfectant. The 

 accoucheur should have well pared nails and washed hands that 

 will not be likely to abrade the delicate membrane of the vagina. 

 Some comparatively trifling obstacle may be hindering parturition, 

 such as a folded back foot, or depressed chin, or head slightly 

 sideways, and be capable of easy alignment or correct presentation. 

 If such is the case, the busy shepherd will, for the time, do no more, 

 but will keep the ewe under observation. Much more serious 

 difficulties are met with, such as a turned back head, or one leg 

 forward and one back, or both limbs behind. In breach presenta- 

 tions the tail may be felt, but no limbs ; the feet being below 

 the brim of the pelvis, or the loin may be against the passage, 

 and neither head, limbs, nor tail can be felt, so that the would-be 

 deliverer is puzzled where to begin. We have known two, and even 



