462 FCETAL DYSTOKIA. 



hand, as we have previously said, the long, thin, and flexible neck, and 

 narrow and tapering head, readily allows the latter to become imbedded 

 in the flank, and thus to offer much less resistance than with the calf ; 

 while the wider pelvis of the Mare offers further facilities. Numerous in- 

 stances are given, in which forcible extraction of the foal with the head 

 so deviated, has been attended with complete success — Darreau had eight 

 out of ten cases — and without much suffering on the part of the Mare. 

 Indeed, so successful and prompt is it, that Donnarieix, who has devoted 

 much attention to this procedure, says it should, as a rule, be adopted in 

 these cases, as it is not possible to restore the head to its normal position ; 

 delivery by vigorous traction is, if not easy, at least most frequently fol- 

 lowed by success. 



Donnarieix operates as follows : The Mare is thrown down near the 

 stable door, the thighs propped against the threshold, and a breech- 

 ing and side-line, fixed to the wall or held by assistants, may be em- 

 ployed to keep the animal in position. Each fore-limb of the fcetus is 

 corded at the pasterns, the cords being confided to assistants, the number 

 of which will vary according to the amount of resistance — four at least 

 are necessary, and sometimes six or eight. On the word being given, 



Fig. 126. 

 Nelson's Blunt Forceps. 



these men pull slowly, steadily and gradually, without jerking, but strongly, 

 and equally on both cords. The foal enters the inlet, but it often happens 

 that, at a given moment, it stops there, owing to the uterus forming a 

 double or ring at this part and opposing progression. Traction must 

 then cease, but the foetus is to be held firmly in the position to which it 

 has been advanced ; the hand is to be introduced between the latter and 

 the uterus — the back of the hand to the foetus, palm to the mucous mem- 

 brane — the fold sought for, and dispersed by raising the back of the hand. 

 Then the tractions are to be renewed, and in the course of fifteen, ten, or 

 even fewer minutes, the foal is extracted. It is well to empty the rectum 

 before commencing extraction. 



When practised with care and discretion, this forced removal of the foal 

 may certainly be commended ; but we should prefer, when circumstances 

 will permit, to give a trial to the methods already enumerated ; seeing 

 that this procedure is not always successful, and may be followed by un- 

 toward consequences. Eberhard, for instance (Gurlt and Hertwig's 

 Magazin, 185 1, p. 269), gives a case in which forced extraction was at- 

 tempted in a Mare, and was followed by rupture of the abdominal muscles, 

 through the powerful tractiorf resorted to. 



With regard to embryotomy^ this must be looked upon as preferable to 

 forced extraction — even in the Mare, but particularly . in the Cow; 

 nevertheless, it must always be considered as an extreme measure. The 



