878 A TREATISE ON HORSE-BREEDING. 



duced along the face detects the enormous size of the head, 

 which may be diminished by puncturing it with a knife or 

 trocar and canula in the median line, evacuating the 

 water and pressing in the thin bony walls. With a pos- 

 terior presentation the same course must be followed; the 

 hand passed along the neck will detect the cranial swelling, 

 which may be punctured with a knife or trocar. Often- 

 times with an anterior presentation the great size of 

 the head leads to its displacement backward and thus 

 the fore limbs alone engage in the passages. Here the first 

 object is to seek and bring up the missing head and then 

 puncture it as above suggested. 



DROPSY OF THE ABDOMEN IN THE FOAL ASCITES. 



The accumulation of liquid in the abdominal cavity of 

 the foetus is less frequent, but when present it may arrest 

 parturition as completely as will hydrocephalus. With an 

 anterior presentation the foal may pass as far as the shoul- 

 ders, but behind this all efforts fail to secure a further ad- 

 vance. With a posterior presentation the hind legs as far as 

 the thighs may be expelled, but at this point all progress 

 ceases. In either- case the oiled hand passed inward by the 

 side of the foal will detect the enormous distention of the 

 abdomen and its soft, fluctuating contents. The only course 

 is to puncture the cavity and evacuate the liquid. With the 

 anterior presentation this may be done with a long trocar 

 and canula, introduced through the chest and diaphragm; or 

 with a knife an incision may be made between the first two 

 ribs and the lungs and heart cut or torn out, when the 

 diaphragm will be felt projecting strongly forward and may 

 be easily punctured. Should there not be room to introduce 

 the hand through the chest the oiled hand may be passed 

 along beneath the breast bone and the abdomen punctured. 

 With a posterior presentation the abdomen must be punc- 

 tured in the same way, the hand, armed with a knife protected 

 in its palm, being passed along the side of the flank or be- 

 tween the hind limbs. It should be added that moderate 

 dropsy of the abdomen is not incompatible with natural 

 delivery, the liquid being at first crowded back into the 



