13^ OBSTETRICAL PHYSIOLOGY. 



one hand of an assistant and a horn by his other hand, will be sufficient. 

 The bowel should be emptied of the fseces it may contain, so as to allow the 

 oiled hand and arm of the explorer to be introduced and freely moved about. 

 When the abdomen is large and pendulous, it is useful to place the animal 

 higher before than behind, and to have the lower part of the belly raised by 

 assistants on each side, by means of a sheet or sack, or even their hands joined 

 beneath, so as to throw the uterus backwards and upwards ; though in the 

 majority of cases these measures are not necessary. The hand being 

 passed into the rectym to beyond the brim of the pubis, it is opened and 

 the palm placed on the lower surface of the intestine and gently pressed 

 downward, towards the floor of the abdomen ; when there will be felt, if 

 the animal is pregnant, a hard irregular mass, more or less voluminous 

 according to the stage of gestation, and capable of being displaced to a 

 certain extent — even partially brought into the pelvis, if parturition is 

 near. In this case, the head or other parts of the foetus can be distin- 

 guished through its envelopes and the uterine and rectal walls. But if 

 pregnancy is not so advanced, — say only at the sixth month, the foetus 

 cannot be so readily felt, and it may happen that at this period it is 

 situated low down in the abdomen, or well forward in one of the horns 

 of the uterus, and lying to one side of the mesial line (nearly always to 

 the right in the Cow) ; so that an inexperienced or careless examiner 

 might miss it altogether at the first exploration. This error can be 

 avoided by carefully moving the introduced hand to the right and left as 

 far as the intestine will permit, with the animal's body inclined backwards 

 and the belly raised by assistants, as just described. The foetus should 

 be excited to move, if possible, so as to guarantee its presence. 



The difficulties are greater if it is desired to know whether the foetus is 

 alive or dead. Sometimes we may at once perceive the movements of 

 the young creature in the uterus ; but at other times it is motionless, and 

 cannot be made to exert itself except by moving and pushing it several 

 times. This, however, is not commendable, unless performed with the 

 greatest gentleness and care ; and if there is nothing urgent, it would be 

 preferable to make an examination at another time, rather than incur 

 the dangerous results that might follow this manipulation. 



The prominences of the foetus might be mistaken for the hard masses 

 of fasces lodged in the intestines ; but a distinction can generally be made 

 by the rapidity with which these prominences appear and disappear 

 through the sudden movements of the young creature, compared with 

 the slow, regular, peristaltic motion of the intestine and its fecal con- 

 tents. 



Vaginal exploration, as mentioned, can only be practised on the larger 

 animals. It is not attended with any more danger than the rectal 

 examination ; but though it is of great value in woman, especially when 

 hallottement* is resorted to, yet it is not nearly so useful in animals ; for 

 in consequence of their horizontal position, this repercussion is not possi- 

 ble. Neither is it so valuable as the exploration/d-r rectufn. It is practised 

 with the animal in the same position as for the last-named examination, 



* The ballottement or repercussion to ascertain the presence of a fcEtus in woman, is produced by the 

 operator placing his patient in the upright position, or if in bed, raising her shoulders. The forefinger is 

 then introduced into the vagina and placed on the cervix uteri, while the other hand is employed to keep 

 the uterine tumor steady; then suddenly but slightly jerking upwards the point of the introduced finger, a 

 sensation is experienced of something having receded from it, and which he will perceive to fall again on 

 the point of his finger in a moment or two. The jerk of the finger upon the head of the foetus causes it to 

 float upwards a little in the liquor amnii, and its weight makes it descend again. We have seen that a kind 

 of external, or flank ballottement, can be practised in the Cow. 



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