580 Veterinary Obstetrics 



position and may be grasped from the other side and drawn out. 



Some practitioners use what is known as a porte-cord or cord- 

 carrier, Fig. 106 f , in order to aid in securing the limb under the 

 conditions we have just named. vSuch an instrument may be 

 made to serve the double purpose of a cord-carrier and a blunt 

 hook. There are numerous patterns of these, but they do not 

 seem to possess a very high value in actual practice and are not 

 largely used. In some cases, where there is great difficulty in 

 passing a cord around a limb because of the presence of fetal 

 membranes, the instrument may be of great advantage. With it 

 the operator can hold the cord in place by means of the instru- 

 ment, while the hand is passed around the other side of the limb 

 and the cord grasped. Once the cord is grasped the instrument 

 is usually withdrawn, while the operator holds the looped end of 

 the cord and guards the end of the instrument to prevent its 

 catching in any of the soft parts. When the porte-cord has been 

 withdrawn, the fastening of the cord about the limb is carried 

 out in the same way as without the use of the instrument. Per- 

 sonally we have found little use for the porte-cord and have not 

 seen a case where we might have applied a cord with the aid of 

 this instrument in which we could not also accomplish this with- 

 out it.. In some instances the application of the cord is easier 

 with the instrument. 



When cords are to be applied to the neck, and the head is in a 

 direct line, the nose presenting, the cord may be applied to the 

 neck, as an open noo.se, by slipping it back over the nose and later 

 the ears, until it rests upon the poll above and in the pharyngeal 

 region below. Then drawing upon the cord we may exert what- 

 ever traction is desired. With a simple loop about the neck 

 there will be a constant tendency for the head to deviate from a 

 direct line, which may be overcome by taking a half hitch around 

 the nose or around the lower jaw, so that any traction which may 

 be exerted will keep the no.se and head in a direct line with the 

 genital canal. 



When the head and neck are so deviated that it is impossible 

 to slip the completed noose over the head, and back upon the 

 neck, the looped end of the cord may be carried as far as possible 

 over one .side of the neck, deposited at that point and then, 

 by reaching around the neck from the other direction, grasped from 

 the opposite side. When the looped end has been .secured, it 



