660 THE DISEASES AND DISORDERS OF THE OX. 



The like proceeding is to be adopted with the other leg. The 

 operator must next push the body of the foetus forwards by 

 either placing his hand against the breech, or using for the 

 purpose an instrument similar to an ordinary crutch. By these 

 efforts he will succeed in flexing the hock-joints, and be able to 

 pass the loops downwards to the fetlocks. Having accom- 

 plished this, a careful manipulation will allow of his bringing 

 up the feet towards the os uteri, and at last to turn the legs so 

 as to place them in position of Fig. 93, after which ordinary 

 traction during each throe will enable him to effect delivery 

 with safety, both to the mother and the young. It may, how- 

 ever, often be the case that efforts to get hold of the fetlocks 

 will prove futile. If so, it will be necessary to perform the 

 operation of embryotomy, and one point to be always borne in 

 mind is that a limb should never be removed before having 

 dissected back the skin, so that the various instruments may be 

 attached to it. The position of the animal is of great import- 

 ance, and the animal should remain standing. During pro- 

 tracted labour, stimulants should be administered. Good ale, 

 together with some alcoholic spirit, is very useful. After 

 delivery a dose of from one to two fluid ounces of tincture of 

 opium may be very valuable, in the case of a mare or cow, or 

 half a fluid ounce to a sheep. 



t 



Now that we have done something to describe the chief kinds 

 of abnormal presentation liable to be met with in cattle practice, 

 we may as well say that the exercise of great care and judgment, 

 coupled with common sense, would suflSce to save very many of 

 the hundreds of animals which are annually lost, owing to the 

 want of the right kind of assistance. There is no doubt that 

 very many animals are yearly sacrificed as a result of the lack of 

 skilful help. 



The most important disease connected with the act of parturi- 

 tion is one which we have already considered under the heading 

 of '' Disorders of the Nervous System." Milk-fever or parturient 

 apoplexy, or puerperal apoplexy, seems to be almost characteristic 

 of the bovine race, and it probably arises from congestion of the 

 brain. This serious disease generally occurs in the cow soon 

 after calving, namely, from about four hours up to about three 

 days after that occurrence has taken place ; although it has been 



