DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 385 



Hilaire and Valentine in varnishing, shaking, and otherwise 

 breaking up the natural connections in eggs, and thereby 

 determining the formation of monstrosities at will. So, in 

 the mammal, blows and other injuries that detach the foetal 

 membranes from the walls of the womb or that modify their 

 circulation by inducing inflammation are at times followed 

 by the development of a monster. The excitement, mental 

 and physical, attendant on fright occasionally acts in a simi- 

 lar way, acting probably through the same channels. 



The monstrous forms likely to interfere with parturition 

 are such as from contracted or twisted limbs or spine must 

 be presented double; where supernumerary limbs, head, or 

 body must approach the passages with the natural ones; 

 where a head or other member has attained to an unnatural 

 size; where the body of one foetus has become inclosed in or 

 attached to ancther, etc. 



Extraction is sometimes possible by straightening the 

 members and securing such a presentation as will reduce the 

 presenting mass to its smallest and most wedge-like dimen- 

 sions. To effect this it may be needful to cut the flexor ten- 

 dons of bent limbs or the muscles on the side of a twisted 

 neck or body; and one or more of the manipulations neces- 

 sary to secure and bring up a missing member may be re- 

 quired. In most cases of monstrosity by excess, however, it 

 is needful to remove the superfluous parts, in which case the 

 general principles employed for emhryotomy must be fol- 

 lowed. The Caesarian section, by which the foetus is ex- 

 tracted through an incision in the walls of the abdomen and 

 womb, is inadmissible, as it practically entails the sacrifice 

 of the mare, which should never be done for the sake of a 

 moDster. (See "Embryotomy.") 



ENTRANCE OF TWINS INTO THE PASSAGE AT ONCE. 



Twins are rare in the mare, and still more rare is the im- 

 paction of both at once into the pelvis. The condition would 

 be easily recognized by the fact that two fore limbs and two 

 hind would occupy the passage at once, the front of the hoofs 

 of the fore feet being turned upward and those of the hind 

 feet downward. If both belonged to one foal they would be 



