DYSTOKIA BY DISPLACEMENT. ^25 



expelled, and the uterus closely applied round the foetus, then extraction 

 is difficult and laborious, and prolapsus uteri is not unlikely to follow. 

 The genital canal should be lubrified with glycerine, injections of tepid 

 water may be thrown into the uterus ; and when the secundines are 

 removed, it may be necessary to inject some antiputrescent substance, if 

 there are foul-smelling discharges or any apprehension of septikaemia. 



In serious cases, after reposition of the uterus and delivery of the 

 foetus, grave complications may ensue — such as metritis, metro-peritoni- 

 tis, etc. It may also then be discovered that a rupture of the viscus 

 exists. 



These complications must be treated according to their indications. 



7. Gastro-hysterotomy, or Cesarean Section. — This operation 

 has been recommended, when the other measures described above have 

 failed, with the object of saving the foetus, if it is still alive, or to preserve 

 the life of the Cow. Laparotomy may be resorted to sometimes, instead 

 of abdominal section towards the linea alba. 



Rocco {II Medico Veteri?iaria, 1863) has twice successfully performed 

 the Caesarean section in torsion of the uterus, and delivered living calves. 

 Lemaire {Recueil de Med. Veterinaire) relates a case of torsion and rup- 

 ture of the uterus, in which recovery was hopeless. The Cow was killed, 

 the abdomen immediately and widely opened, and the foetus extracted 

 from the uterus with all haste. The Calf was alive, and did well. 



We shall describe the operation hereafter. 



Torsion of the Uterus in the Mare. 



Torsion of the uterus in the Mare is a rare accident. This is doubt- 

 less owing to the direction of the uterine cornua, and the manner in 

 which the broad ligaments are attached to them, which renders rotation 

 of the organ very difficult, unless there is some anatomical anomaly in 

 the parts. 



Nevertheless, undoubted instances of this displacement in the preg- 

 nant Mare are on record. Belhomme, in 1850, was the first to describe 

 the accident ; he was followed, in 1852, by Elsen and Delwart ; in i860, 

 by Hamon ; in 1861, by Canu ; in 1863, by Schmidt ; in 1866, by Jan- 

 sen ; in 1870, by Gierer ; and in 1875 ^"^^ ^^11^ by Cox {Veterinajy 

 yournal, vol. i., p. 263, vol. iv., p. 28). 



Serious doubts having been entertained as to the possibility of such 

 an accident in this animal, the fact that it can take place was experi- 

 mentally demonstrated by Goubaux in 1864. 



Causes. 



The cause of uterine torsion in the Mare are not well ascertained. It 

 is not improbable that some of the causes which produce it in the Cow 

 will also be effective, in certain circumstances, in the Mare. 



Wolff mentions that he has witnessed it in a Mare which had suffered 

 from attacks of colic four days previously, and whgn so affected had 

 thrown itself down and rolled violently. In Cox's case, a few weeks be- 

 fore parturition, the Mare had an attack of colic, and rolled over several 

 times. 



The accident has only been seen in Mares whose period of gestation 

 had nearlv terminated. In Elsen's case the Mare had been ten months 



