CLASSIFICATION OF ABNORMAL PRESENTATIONS 253 



Treatment— When the anterior extremity of the body has 

 not yet passed into the pelvis, the head is drawn upon the fore 

 legs into the parturient passage ; the balance of the calf then 

 places itself into the abdominal position. 



When head and fore limbs are already in the vagina, 

 traction is exerted on the uppermost leg of the calf while the 

 cow is down. For instance, the calf rests on the right side, 

 as also the cow ; in this case one pulls on the left fore limb of 

 the calf. By doing so a quarter rotation and extraction is now 

 possible in the abdominal presentation. When the posterior 

 extremity of the body lies on the side, traction is exerted until 

 the trochanteric diameter passes the height of the pelvic inlet. 

 This is often followed by spontaneous rotation, as the sterno- 

 dorsal diameter of the thorax accommodates itself to the 

 greatest diameter of the pelvic inlet — that is, its height. Be- 

 sides this, numerous other abnormal positions of the head, fore 

 legs or hind legs are seen ; they are converted into the preced- 

 ing presentation. 



3. — Dorsal Presentations. 



We speak of a dorsal position when the back of the calf is 

 turned toward the abdomen of the parent. It is not frequently 

 seen in the cow, but occasionally causes dystokia. The dorsal 

 presentation may be complicated by malpositions of the head, 

 fore legs and hind limbs. 



Diagnosis.— In the dorsal presentation, with the head and 

 fore limbs lying in the parturient passage, the anterior extremi- 

 ties rest with their flexion surface toward the inferior wall of 

 the vagina. The plantar surface of the claws is turned up- 

 ward, making the impression at first as if tbe hind legs are in 

 the pelvic canal. 



Should the hind legs occupy the parturient passage, their 

 anterior face is turned toward the roof of the vagina and the 

 plantar surface of the claws downward. The owner usually 

 imagines that the fore limbs are in the pelvic canal and that 

 the head is turned backward. 



