UNNATURAL PARTURITION. 457 



within her. I ordered a dose of the ergot, and in about twenty 

 minutes a large puppy was produced, nearly dying. She survived 

 with due care. 



" I cannot refrain from inserting the following case at consider- 

 able length : — 



" Sept. 4:th, 1820. — A very diminutive terrier, weighing not 5 

 lbs., was sent to my hospital in order to lie in. She was already 

 restless and panting. About eight o'clock at night the labour 

 pains commenced ; but until eleven scarcely any progress was made. 

 The OS uteri woidd not admit my finger, although I frequently 

 attemjited it. 



" At half-past eleven, the membranes began to protrude ; at 

 one the head had descended into the pelvis and the puppy was 

 dead. In a previous labour she had been unable to produce her 

 young, although the ergot of rye had been freely used. I was 

 obliged to use considerable force, and she fought terribly with me 

 throughout the whole process. At half-past one, and after apply- 

 ing considerable force, I brought away a large foetus, compared with 

 her own size. On passing my finger as high as possible, I felt 

 another foetus living, but the night passed and the whole of the 

 following day, and she ate and drank, and did not appear to be 

 much injured. 



" Several times in the day I gave her some strong soup and the 

 ergot. Some slight pains now returned, and by pressing on the 

 belly the nose of the foetus was brought to the superior edge of the 

 pelvis. The pains again ceased, the pudenda began to swell from 

 frequent examination, the bitch began to stagger, and made fre- 



