226 PARTURITION. 



circumstance during the period of pregnancy is the little exercise which 

 the mother is permitted to take, while, in point of fact, nothing tends more 

 to safe and easy parturition than her being permitted or compelled to take 

 a fair quantity of exercise. 



When the time of parturition has arrived, and there is evident difficulty 

 in producing the foetus, recourse should be had to the ergot of rye, which 

 should be given every hour or half hour, according to circumstances. If 

 after a certain time some, although little, progress has been made, the 

 ergot must be continued in smaller doses, or perhaps suspended for a 

 while ; but, if all progress is evidently suspended, recourse must be had 

 to the hook or the forceps. By gentle but continued manipulation much 

 may be done, especially when the muzzle of the puppy can be brought 

 into the passage. As little force as possible must be used, and especially 

 the foetus little broken. Many a valuable animal is destroyed by the 

 undue application of force. 



If the animal seems to be losing strength, a small quantity of laudanum 

 and ether may be administered. " The patience of bitches in labour is 

 extreme," says Mr. Elaine ; " and their distress, if not removed, is most 

 striking and affecting. Their look is at such time particularly expressive 

 and apparently imploring." When the pupping is protracted, and the 

 young ones are evidently dead, the mother may be saved, if none of the 

 puppies have been broken. In process of time the different puppies may, one 

 after another, be extracted ; but when violence has been used at the com- 

 mencement, or almost at any part of the process, death will assuredly follow. 



June 15, 1832. A spaniel bitch was brought to my infirmary to-day, 

 who has been in great and constant pain since yesterday, making repeated 

 but fruitless efforts to expel her puppies. She is in a very plethoric 

 habit of body ; her bowels are much confined, and she exhibits some ge- 

 neral symptoms of febrile derangement, arising, doubtless, from her pro- 

 tracted labour. This is her first litter. Upon examination no young 

 could be distinctly felt. 



Place her in a warm bath, and give her a dose of castor oil, morn- 

 ing and evening. 



June 16. The bitch appears in the same state as yesterday, except 

 that the medicine has operated freely upon the bowels, and the febrile 

 symptoms have somewhat decreased. Her strainings are as frequent and 

 distressing as ever. Take two scruples of the ergot of rye, and divide into 

 six doses, of which let one be given every half hour. 



In about ten minutes after the exhibition of the last dose of this 

 medicine, she brought forth, with great difficulty, one dead puppy ; upon 

 taking which away from her, she became so uneasy that I was induced to 

 return it to her. In about a quarter of an hour after this I paid her 

 another visit ; the puppy could not now be found ; but a suspicious appear- 

 ance in the mother's eye betrayed at once that she had devoured it. I im- 

 mediately administered an emetic ; and in a very short time the whole 

 foetus was returned in five distinct parts, viz. the four quarters and the head. 

 After this, the bitch began to amend very fast ; she produced no other puppy; 

 and as her supply of milk was small, she was soon convalescent. 



Twelve months afterwards she was again taken in labour, about eleven 

 o'clock in the morning, and after very great difficulty, one puppy was 

 produced. After this the bitch appeared in great pain, but did not suc- 

 ceed in expelling another foetus, in consequence of which I was sent for 



