582 Veterinary Obstetrics 



character that there is no reason why it should not heal very 

 promptly and without blemish. 



A few practitioners also pass cords around the loins of the fetus, 

 in case of posterior presentation, with the hind limbs completely 

 retained, but, so far as we know, this plan of procedure has not 

 been generally adopted. Personally, we .see no need for this very 

 tedious plan, which, if completed, still offers very great danger 

 for the mother and virtuall}' no hope for the life of the fetus. 

 In our experience there are other plans of procedure which are 

 simpler and more effective. 



In addition to cords and bands there are other methods for ap- 

 plying traction, among which may be mentioned the annealed 

 wire-loop. Fig. gi i, for the larger animals. Similar devices for 

 small animals may consist of a small tube of metal or other suit- 

 able material, through which is pa.ssed a wire loop, as shown in 

 Fig. 91 f, or a more complex device such as that of Defaj^ g. g., 

 Fig. 91. 



Hooks. Few obstetric instruments have been so much u.sed and 

 made of so many patterns as hooks. They may be divided into 

 long and short. Those which, when attached to a por- 

 tion of the fetus within the birth canal, will be completely 

 hidden, are called short hooks, j and k. Fig, 92 and b, Fig. 106. 

 Those which are of such a length that, w^hen applied to a given 

 part of the fetus, their distal ends project beyond the vulva like 

 a to e. Fig. 92, and g. Fig. 106, we denominate long hooks. Hooks 

 may be either sharp or blunt. 



Some hooks are used singly and others doubly or in pairs. In 

 case of the short hooks, especially the finger hook, the traction 

 must be applied through the medium of a cord passsed through an 

 eye in the hook or through the medium of the operator's hand. 

 The long hooks are applied to the desired point accompanied by 

 the hand of the operator, and traction is exerted from the outside 

 through the aid of an assistant. 



The advantages and disadvantages of long and short hooks are 

 largely matters of personal experience. One practitioner becomes 

 accustomed to the short hook, another to the long, and each be- 

 lieves that his kind is the better. As a matter of fact there are 

 few things which can be accomplished with one of these hookg 

 which cannot be done with almost the same facility with the 

 other. There are few, if any, places that a short hook can be 



