454 SURGICAL DISEASES. 



accidental complication. As, however, these unnatural labours 

 only occur in any number to the veterinary practitioner, I shall 

 take the liberty of inserting here Mr. Youatt's remarks on the 

 subject, which I believe to be truthful throughout : — 



" The pupping usually takes place from the sixty-second to 

 the sixty-fourth day ; and, the process having commenced, from 

 a quarter to three quarters of an hour generally takes place be- 

 tween the production of each puppy. 



" Great numbers of bitches are lost every j^ear in the act of 

 parturition : there seems to be a propensity in the females to 

 associate with dogs larger than themselves, and they pay for it 

 with their lives. The most neglected circumstance during the 

 period of pregnancy is the little exercise which the mother is 

 permitted to take, while, in point of fact, nothing tends more 

 to safe and easy parturition than her being permitted or com- 

 pelled to take a fair quantity of exercise. 



" When the time of parturition has arrived, and there is evident 

 difficulty in producing the foetus, recourse should be had to the 

 ergot of rye, which should be given every hour or half-hour, 

 according to circumstances. If after a certain time some, al- 

 though little, progress has been made, the ergot must be con- 

 tinued in smaller doses, or perhaps suspended for a while ; but, 

 if all progress is evidently suspended, recourse must be had to 

 the hook or the forceps. By gentle but continued manipulation 

 much may be done, especially when the muzzle of the puppy 

 can be brought into the passage. As little force as j)Ossible 



