326 MATERNAL DYSTOKIA. 



pregnant ; in Hamon's case the ordinary period had expired ; and the 

 Mare which was attended by Schmidt was within a few days of foaling. 



Symptoms. 



The general symptoms appear to be similar to those observed in the 

 Cow. The local symptoms, however, differ somewhat, the torsion being 

 generally Iriore forward in the body of the uterus; so that the spiral 

 vaginal folds are often not so distinct, and, from Goubaux's experiments, 

 may even not be felt at all. 



Rectal exploration is recommended by Saint-Cyr in these cases, the 

 torsion being felt as a thick, short, and hard cord. Schmidt easily in- 

 troduced his hand into the rectum as far as the abdominal margin of the 

 pubis, and there he felt under his hand an obstacle which prevented 

 further progress, as only three fingers could be introduced beyond this. 

 The body under his hand was hard, resisting, and immovable ; whereas 

 the contents^ of the colon were soft and easily indented by the fingers. 



The posterior portion of the floating colon, as in this instance, may be 

 obstructed in the Mare by the twist formed by the uterus and the broad 

 ligaments, and this obstruction will, of course, prevent expulsion of the 

 faeces. 



Prognosis and Treatment. 



This accident must be considered more serious in the Mare than the 

 Cow, for some of the reasons already alluded to as influencing parturi- 

 tion and its results in these animals. 



The treatment must, of course, be similar. Belhomme succeeded, by 

 powerful traction, and without previous reduction of the twisted uterus, 

 in extracting a dead foal in what he describes as a case of " demi-tor- 

 sion." It is probable that the torsion could not have been so great, for 

 when it exists to this degree delivery by traction is impossible. 



Elsen and Delwart succeeded in reducing the torsion in their case, by 

 rolling the Mare in the manner we have recommended to be adopted 

 with the Cow. In this instance, however, every thing was against the 

 success of the operation, for the foetus had already been two months be- 

 yond its time in the uterus ; it was dead and in a state of putrefaction, 

 and had to be removed piecemeal. The Mare died from septic infec- 

 tion eleven days after the operation. 



In Canu's interesting case the result was favorable. The Mare had 

 been endeavoring to foal, it would appear, for ten days, and was evi- 

 dently about to succumb. Canu, recognizing torsion of the uterus, was 

 proceeding to open it by force, when the animal fell with great violence, 

 and the shock her body received had the unlooked-for result of com- 

 pletely untwisting the organ, so that parturition, though difficult, became 

 possible. The foal was dead, as might have been predicted ; but the 

 Mare was saved, and continued to recover sufficiently to be put to light 

 work, when, on the thirtieth day after the operation, it was attacked with 

 metrorrhagia which nearly killed it. It eventually got well. 



Hamon, in France, and Schmidt, in Germany, endeavored to effect re- 

 duction of the torsion in their cases by rolling the Mares first in one 

 direction, then in the other ; but without success, as both animals died 

 without being delivered. 



Gierer observed two cases of complete torsion in Mares, in both of 

 which the accident was complicated by a large rupture at the base of the 

 uterus, through which the foetus had escaped into the abdominal cavity. 



