166 THE NATURE AND TREATMENT OF 



The mode of extracting the foitus when the breach presents 

 is as follows : Pressure must be made upon the buttocks of 

 calf in the interim of labor pains ; having succeeded in pushing 

 the calf forwards the hocks may possibly be reached, afterwards 

 the feet ; these are to be brought into the vaginal passage ; then 

 by traction, and altering the position of the calf if necessary, 

 the delivery is completed. 



Should it be found impossible to push the foetus forwards, 

 I should los^no time in raising the hind quarters of the cow by 

 means of hoisting apparatus which most farmers have on hand. 

 In order to avoid hurting or injuring the cow's limbs, when hoist- 

 ing the hind parts from the ground, I encircle the legs just 

 above the fetlock, with some old gunny bag or something of 

 the sort, then affix a strap to each leg into which the tackle must 

 be hooked; the cow is, of course, raised from the floor belly 

 upwards. 



CLEANSING, OR REMOVAL OF THE AFTER-BIRTH. 



After the delivery, the after-hirth should be detached, if 

 possible, for if it be allowed to occupy the uterus, the latter con- 

 tracts upon it, and there it may remain for a week or more, 

 and at last come away a mass of putridity, not however, before 

 the cow has suffered some derangement of health. 



So soon as the calf is born I introduce may hand, and pull in 

 various directions on the umbilical cord, failing to bring the 

 placenta away, I introduce my whole arm and carefully 

 detach the now foreign body, from the cotyledons of the uterus. 

 The uterus shortly afterwards contracts, and thus effectually 

 prevents uterine hemorrhage. 



It has been my universal custom of late to remove the pla- 

 centa immediately after the birth of the calf, and 1 do so 

 because I consider it unwise to allow it to remain, for the labor 

 is not then completed. No practitioner of midwifery in human 

 medicine would ever deem it proper to leave his patient until 

 the " after-birth " was removed, for it would most undoubtedly 

 endanger the mother's life if it were left to rot away, as is too 

 often the case Avith the poor, uncomplaining cow. 



