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birth of the offspring. This is very troublesome, and has to be cut or 

 torn away before delivery can be accomplished. I remember one 

 case where the whole of the cleansing came away from the cow before 

 the calf. Great care has then to be used in manipulating the fcetus 

 into proper position for delivery. 



786. Hydrops-uteri, or dropsy of the womb before parturition. 

 This is often seen in the cow and sheep, and occasionally in the mare. 

 As the animal nears the end of its period of gestation, the belly gets to a 

 big size, oppressing the patient, rendering it very weak and languid, and 

 also causing wasting of the flesh. For support, a good broad bandage 

 should be rolled and secured round tlie body, and good, nutritious 

 food given ; then wait patiently until parturition sets in, when, as a rule, 

 an enormous quantity of water comes away, accompanied by a small 

 ill-nourished foetus. In extreme cases, tapping the womb on the right 

 side with a iine trocar and canula has to be resorted to. 



787. Abnormal Conceptions are recorded, where the young ones 

 were developed in one of the horns of the womb, or in the belly 

 outside of the womb altogether (extra uterine conception). In 

 company with Mr. J. Young, M.R.C.V.S., Bromsgrove, and Mr. Jos. 

 Hewson, M.R.C.V.S., Carlisle, I saw a case of the former in a 

 Clydesdale mare. The vagina and neck of the womb were relaxed 

 and open, the womb dilated to a considerable extent, but nothing in 

 the shape of a fcetus could be found inside. On the right side, 

 about ten or twelve inches from the neck of the womb, was 

 a constricted, rigid ring ; on passing the hand through this, 

 the stifle of the foetus could be touched with the ends of the 

 fingers at full stretch ; the bod}' of the foal could be distinctly felt 

 through the walls of the vagina and womb ; the horn of the uterus 

 being doubled, the head of the foal was in the pelvic cavit}', and its 

 nose close to the anus of the mother. After many hours' hard work, 

 we failed to effect delivery, and the mare was destroyed. The position 

 of the foal, and the doubling of the horn of the womb, indicated a 

 breech presentation. Some years prior to the foregoing occurrence, I 

 had a similar case in a black-polled cow, but the calf was lying in the 



