470 



FCETAL DYSTOKIA. 



presentation has sometimes been successfully converted into a posterior 

 one, so that birth could take place. 



But such cases are rarely met with in practice ; and, as a rule, the vet- 

 erinary obstetrist finds that parturition has made much progress, the 

 foetus being fixed in the genital canal and occupying its entire diameter, 

 and its hind-limbs well forward under the body, each labor-pain wedging 

 it more firmly ; and the case is perhaps complicated and aggravated by 

 the indiscreet manipulations of amateurs and busybodies. In such cir- 

 cumstances, it is needless attempting to push the foetus towards the 

 uterus, neither can the hind-limbs be thrust into the uterine cavity ; as no 

 sooner are they carried from under the body for ever so short a distance, 

 than a succeeding pain brings them into their former position. Indeed, 

 it is sometimes most difficult to reach the hind-limbs to apply cords to 

 them, and so by straightening to bring them parallel to the body. In a 

 case of this description in the Mare, Obich ( Wochejischrift fiir Thierheil- 

 kunde und Viehzuchi) succeeded in extracting the foal by cording the 

 hind-feet (which were under the body), and pulling at them as well as 

 the head and fore-feet. Donnarieix recommends pulling the posterior 

 limbs forward beneath the body, the contents of the abdomen and chest 

 having been previously removed to facilitate the operation ; then cording 

 the hind-pasterns, to draw fir^t one, then the other, towards the vulva. 

 He admits, however, that this is difficult, and one of his cases treated in 

 this way occupied him for four hours ; he was even compelled to excise 

 one of the limbs at the hock before he could straighten it. The Mare, 

 however, lived. 



Canu {Op. cit.), in 1837, gives another method in which embryotomy 

 may be carried out. The illustrative case was that of a Mare, the foal 

 — which was dead — being born as far as the half of the chest. As it 

 was not possible to push it back, the body of the young creature was 

 divided as near the hind-quarters as possible, by making an incision from 

 the sternum to the spine, behind the last rib on each side ; then the ab-- 

 domen was emptied of its contents, and the spine cut through between 

 the last dorsal and first lumbar vertebra, the amputation being facilitated 

 by an assistant holding the lips of the vulva as far apart as possible. 

 The Mare, which was very exhausted, did not offer much opposition 

 when the croup was pushed into the uterus, and the hind-limbs being 

 corded, version was very easy, and the operation soon finished. The 

 Mare was at work within twenty days afterwards. 



Canu's method of extraction has often been practised, both in the Mare 

 and Cow, by subsequent veterinary surgeons ; and it has been proved to 

 be both rational and successful — so far as the mother is concerned. In 

 practising it, the following directions have been given by Saint-Cyr, and 

 their observance is important : 



I. Find the hind-limbs and secure them by cords around the pasterns; 

 2. Cord the head and fore-limbs, and pull these out as far as possible be- 

 yond the vulva ; 3. Remove the abdominal viscera, and divide the spine 

 as near the lumbar region as possible, taking the precaution to leave a 

 good piece of skin attached to the loins, so as to cover the exposed 

 bones and prevent the maternal organs being injured during the subse- 

 quent steps in extraction ; 4. Obtain a solid bearing on the divided spine, 

 either with the hand or the repeller, and push steadily and firmly 

 against it, so as to direct it into the uterus, when the cords on the hind- 

 pasterns being pulled by assistants, guided by the hand of the operator 



