5 1 6 . OBSTE TRIG OPERA TIONS. 



the accoucheur s art, and has been productive of the greatest benefits in 

 difficult cases of parturition in woman. But they have not yielded much 

 service to the veterinary obstetrist, except with the smaller animals , not- 

 withstanding that Hurtrel d'Arboval, at the commencement of this century, 

 asserted of the forceps that there are circumstances in which great advan- 

 tages might be derived from them, that their use is perhaps the best 

 means of completing parturition when it cannot be terminated naturally, 

 etc. Attempts have been made at various times to introduce them into 

 general use for the larger domesticated animals, and various models — 

 more or less modifications of the human patterns — have been proposed, 

 but with very little, if any, success. 



The forceps used by the accoucheur of woman are, as is well known, 

 composed of two branches or blades, which are nearly or quite alike, and 

 form levers of the first order ; they are united at the middle by a fixed or 

 sliding joint, and one end — the "bow," or widest part — which is intehded 

 to grasp the foetus, is fenestrated, or perforated by a wide opening ; at the 

 other end is the handle. 



The reason why the forceps has never come into general use in vet- 

 erinary obstetric operations — except with the smaller animals, as already 

 said — is not so much from a prejudice against novelties and innovations, 

 as because they are really not adapted for this kind of practice, unless in 

 a very modified form, to be presently noticed. Rainard ( Op. cit., vol ii., 

 p. 98) remarks : " Medical men will be astonished that I have not men- 

 tioned the forceps, from which they derive such great advantages. This 

 instrument, which can seize a round head, like that of a child — when each 

 blade fits exactly throughout its whole length — will have much less hold 

 on that of animals, which is elongated, flattened at the sides, and otherwise 

 but little yielding. When the forceps is applied to the foal or calf, it 

 slips and is useless. Otherwise, the readiness with which cords can be 

 attached to the head and limbs, renders these in every way preferable to 

 this instrument. What the forceps cannot do, the cords can ; and they 

 have the additional advantage that they scarcely occupy any space in the 

 pelvic canal. Tlie pelvis of our animals is nearly rectilinear ; with the 

 cords we pull in a straight line ; what more could the forceps do } The 



Fig. 167. 

 Simple short Crotchet-Forceps. 



entire hand can be introduced freely into the pelvis, and moved about 

 easily. This cannot be done in human accouchements." And Saint-Cyr 

 justly asserts that there is no known forceps capable of affording such a 

 solid purchase, and at the same time one so harmless, as a good cord 

 fixed on the pastern, or Schaack's head-stall properly placed on the head. 

 Though an instrument resembling the human forceps is not at all 

 adapted for extracting the foetus in such animals as the Mare or Cow ; 

 and though in the cords and head-stall an excellent substitute is found ; 

 yet modified forceps, which might be designated — if not from their shape, 



