80 Diseases of the Genital Organs 



way. Should the mare be restless, a twitch should be ap- 

 plied, and upon the least show of viciousness, breeding hob- 

 bles should be used and drawn up tight. Even then, the 

 veterinarian should have care that she does not give him a 

 blow with one or both os calces. The operator should look 

 carefully to having abundant room, especially that the mare 

 may not crowd him against a wall, and also that, when his 

 arm is in the rectum, she shall not be able to move violently 

 to the right or left and, by pressing her buttocks close to a 

 post, crush his arm. 



The cow does not often kick during rectal or vaginal ex- 

 aminations, but I know to my cost that exceptionally she 

 kicks fiendishly and very dangerously. Next to the worst 

 kick in my career was from a cow while I was attempting to 

 examine her genital organs. Usually the cow can be con- 

 trolled by a strong stableman grasping her muzzle firmly, or 

 still better by applying a leading ring or pincers to her 

 muzzle and pulling firmly. However, a few vicious cows 

 need to be shackled by tying a rope or strap about one meta- 

 tarsus, giving it a turn about the other, and then having a 

 strong, alert man hold the end of the rope firmly, ready in 

 event of a fall to release her. I have encountered a number 

 of heifers which were exceedingly resistant to the instru- 

 mental examination of the cervico-uterine cavity, and have 

 found it necessary to lay them down and secure them. It is 

 inadvisable to waste time on these obstinate patients, be- 

 cause the longer one works the more resistant they become. 

 Finally they exhaust the operator and then, if ever, he is 

 liable under fatigue to injure the patient seriously. There- 

 fore it is best, when the animal cannot be controlled in a 

 manner to render both patient and operator safe and to 

 avoid fatigue, that the animal be secured in lateral recum- 

 bency. She may be cast in a variety of ways, but for con- 

 venience of securing for the operation, the best method is 

 that of stretching her between two posts. The head should 

 be tied securely to one, with a second post or other fixed 

 point for securing a rope about twenty feet or more behind 

 her. A stout rope is then tied in a running noose about one 



