248 NORMAL PARTURITION. 



skin ; and in doing this the cutaneous circulation is excited, and, by 

 sympathy, the other organs of the young animal. Consequently, it 

 becomes revived, soon endeavors to get up, and though it may fall 

 several times, yet it generally quickl}'- succeeds in maintaining itself on 

 its limbs, and instinctively seeks the maternal teat. It is very rare that 

 the mother does not voluntarily, and at once, commence to cleanse its 

 progeny ; nevertheless, there are exceptions, chiefly among the primip- 

 arae, and especially when the labor has been long and painful. But it 

 will generally be found that sprinkling the young animal with a little 

 flour, bran, or salt will excite the attention of the mother and induce the 

 cleaning process. Should it not do so, then the creature must be well 

 dried and rubbed with a sponge, hay-wisp, or a cloth, and kept warm. 

 This is more particularly necessary when the mother is indifferent to it, 

 which sometimes happens with primiparae when people are present. 

 Indeed, some Mares become quite savage after parturition, and will not 

 allow their foal to come near them, and will even kill it; though this most 

 frequently happens when they are tormented by spectators. Other 

 Mares, vicious before parturition, sometimes become remarkably quiet 

 when they have a foal by their side. When they exhibit any aversion to 

 their progeny, it is well to leave them quietly together for some time. 



If the foal or calf is weak, and cannot reach the teat within half an 

 hour or so after birth (for in uniparous animals the mammae are inguinal, 

 so that the young are always suckled in a standing posture), it will be 

 found necessary to assist it by bringing it to the mother, and applying 

 the teat to its mouth, at the same time caressing and soothing the parent 

 if disinclined to it by temper or painfulness of the udder. This coaxing 

 and handling should be performed by some one accustomed to the 

 animal. It may be necessary to have a second person at hand to hold 

 the Mare by the head or lift up its fore foot. 



Sometimes from weakness or inexperience of the foal, and temper of 

 the Mare, the former runs the risk of perishing from starvation. The 

 Mare should be safely secured, and two persons ought then to push and 

 support the young animal behind by joining one of their hands, while 

 the other hands are employed in directing it towards the teat, which it 

 should be allowed to use for two or three minutes. After one or two 

 attempts of this kind, the foal begins to find its way to the udder by 

 itself, while the Mare becomes reconciled to it. When the foal exliibits 

 great debility, it may be preferable to feed it for a day or two with the 

 milk of the Mare, which has been drawn by hand. 



With the Cow, these difficulties are seldom present, and if an animal 

 will not take to its calf this is generally transferred to another Cow, or 

 it may be artificially reared. The foal may even be reared in this 

 manner, though not so easily as the calf. The milk of the Cow or Goat 

 will suffice, and there is generally little difficulty in teaching it to drink it 

 by at first pouring a little into its mouth while the finger is inserted 

 therein ; or a piece of cloth steeped in milk, or even a bottle and tube 

 may be used. 



Calves are often harshly treated after birth ; they are not allowed to 

 suck, even for a number of days, for fear of damaging the Cow, but are 

 kept apart and fed on drawn milk. Calves intended for slaughter may 

 be artificially fed, and especially if nutritive substances are added to the 

 milk ; but for those intended to be reared, it is a mistake to separate 

 them' from the Cow during the early days of their existence. 



