732 Veterinary Obstetrics 



extraction is not possible or desirable in small animals, and Caesar- 

 ian section must be employed. 



2. Embryotomy. In all instances, in the larger animals, 

 where forced extraction is impossible or imprudent, the veterin- 

 arian should diminish the size of the fetus by embryotomy, un- 

 less the fetus is still living and possesses a very high value as 

 compared with that of the mother. This operation is necessarily 

 limited in practice to the larger species of animals, and is virtu- 

 ally excluded in the sow, bitch and cat because the size of the 

 genital canal does not permit of carrying out the necessary 

 operations. 



In the ewe and goat embryotomy is at times practicable, de- 

 pending chiefly upon the comparative dimensions of the genital 

 canal of the patient and the hand of the operator. 



In the cow we have occasionally found that the head presented 

 the chief obstacle to labor, and it was only necessary to perform 

 cephalotomy, as described on page 643, in order to accomplish 

 delivery. If this does not suffice, the diminution in the size of 

 the fetus may be continued to any further degree required, as 

 suggested under d, page 645 ; g, page 649 ; and c, page 658. 



3. Caesarian section will be found necessary or advisable in 

 many cases of dystokia in the sow and carnivora due to excessive 

 volume of the fetus. Forced extraction is difficult because of 

 the smallness of the genital passages, and frequently unwise 

 because the force which would be required for the extraction 

 of the fetus would produce injuries to the soft parts, of a 

 more serious character than would result from gastro-hysterotomy. 

 For the same reason embryotomy cannot be applied, and the 

 obstetrist must turn to Caesarian section as his last resort. 



It is unfortunate in these cases to postpone the operation too 

 long. The obstetrist .should determine the necessity for Caesarian 

 section early, and carry it out as promptly as possible. If there 

 is delay in operating, and one or more fetuses have perished and 

 become emphysematous and putrid, the operation becomes very 

 grave ; whereas in these animals Caesarian section, when carried 

 out upon a uterus which has not suffered from any previous insult 

 and in which the fetuses are yet alive, is not highly dangerous. 

 The operation has already been discussed on page 663. 



