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opposite direction, with its tail next the anus of the mother, and could 

 be distinctly felt through the walls of the womb. I attended the case 

 for three days, during which tims I made numerous attempts at 

 delivery, but failed, and the cow had to be slaughtered. In all cases of 

 difficult labour, although a great amount of patience, perseverance, 

 and manual labour is required, success mainly depends on the judicious 

 use of both hands and instruments [Plate XLIX.), or, as the late 

 Professor Williams tersely used to put it : — " Difficult calving and 

 foaling are accomplished by the exercise of the brain." Lord 

 Bacon has well summed up the relationship between science and 

 practice in the following sentence : — 



"Neither the naked hand, nor the understanding, left to itself, can do much ; 

 the work is accomplished by instruments and helps, of which the need is not less for 

 the understanding than the hand." 



788. Retention of the Placenta, or Afterbirth. —This, in the 

 mare, ought never to be allowed to remain more than from six to ten 

 hours after the birth of the foal, more particularly when the mare is 

 on dry food, in the stable, as it often brings on laminitis (inflammation 

 of the feet — founder — [pars. 201 and 799) ; in some seasons this 

 complaint almost resembles an epidemic. It may be avoided by the 

 timely removal of the membranes, which must be carefully done, as the 

 smallest piece left is quite sufficient to cause a great deal of 

 constitutional disturbance, and in some cases, septic poisoning and 

 death. 



789. The Cow, on the other hand, can retain the fcetal membranes 

 from six to eight days, with little or no constitutional derangement. 

 I have attempted their removal at times varying from six hours after 

 calving until the eighth day, and I find at the fifth or sixth day they 

 may be sometimes successfully taken away. I generally inject into 

 the uterus eight or ten quarts of tepid water, containing a small portion 

 of Little's phenyle, or sanitas ; then on introducing the hand, by 

 gentle traction and twisting of the membranes, they can be removed. 

 I have a great objection to cutting small pieces off the portion of the 

 membranes that may be hanging outside, and have still more objection 

 to farmers hanging a horse-shoe, or other weight, to them. When the 



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