278 MATERNAL DYSTOKIA. 



quently, however, it happens that by this procedure some portion of the 

 foetus is so tightly wedged in the pelvis that no amount of force is capa- 

 ble of moving it farther, and renders absolutely impossible those other 

 operations which might be the means of savisg at least the mother or 

 offspring, or perhaps both. For this reason it is, that the owner of an 

 animal in this condition should not himself, nor suffer others to, pull at 

 the foetus, or attempt any similar manoeuvre, until the arrival of the veter- 

 inarian. And the latter has a difhcult task before him iji solving the 

 problem, as to whether he ought to extract the fcetus forcibly, or resort 

 immediately to the other measures prescribed. This will render a care- 

 ful examination necessary, in order to ascertain the nature, seat, and de- 

 gree of constriction. 



The animal is making excessive, nay violent, efforts, and the foetus may 

 be in a favorable position, but it does not advance through the pelvis. 

 The creature is restless and sighs deeply ; the flanks are covered with 

 perspiration, and sometimes, through sheer exhaustion, it falls, utterly 

 prostrated by its efforts. As the uterine contractions generally increase 

 in violence in the presence of obstacles to birth, there is the gravest 

 danger to mother and offspring. 



In such a case, the veterinarian, having introduced his hand into the 

 pelvis in the ordinary way, endeavors to discover if the obstacle is there. 

 With this object in view, he closes his hand to try if he can move his 

 shut fist about in every direction, and with ease. Then stretching out 

 the thumb, he can approximately judge the distance which intervenes 

 between opposite points of the pelvic circumference, and in this way 

 appreciate to a certain degree whether a moderate-sized foetus could 

 pass through. For if the pelvis is so contracted that the closed hand 

 can scarcely move about in it, it. will be needless to attempt forcible 

 extraction, as the foetus cannot be brought through. 



Saint-Cyr has calculated that the closed hand of an adult man repre- 

 sents an irregular mass measuring between three and four and a half inches 

 in diameter; but the head of a calf, in its supero-inferior diameter, 

 measures from seven to ten inches, and four to five inches in transverse 

 diameter. It is therefore obvious that the head of a calf could not pass 

 through an aperture in which the hand cannot move freely ; and much 

 less the chest of a foal, which is at least twelve to thirteen inches in 

 depth. 



It is also necessary to take into consideration the cause of dystokia. 

 If this is due to a complete deformity of the pelvis, then the case is 

 serious, and there is little hope of traction alone overcoming the diffi- 

 culty. If it is due to a tumor, and localized, then it must be ascertained 

 if this is of a bony character, arising from an exostosis or fracture ; or if it 

 is movable and independent. If the latter, the case is not so serious, 

 and especially if the tumor is connected with the sacro-sciatic ligament; 

 as it may be pushed out of the way of the foetus and birth take place. 



As Saint-Cyr insists, all these considerations should be weighed before 

 deciding to terminate parturition by mechanical traction ; for if the impos- 

 sibility of accomplishing it by this means is discovered when too late, 

 the other operations are rendered more difficult and dangerous, in conse- 

 quence of the ineffectual attempts at forced extraction. 



If extraction of the entire foetus is discovered to be practicable, and 

 the position is favorable, then there should not be much difficulty in effect- 

 ing delivery, which may be achieved as in ordinary circumstances. It 



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