F. ABERRATIONS AND ANOMALIES IN THE DEVEL- 

 OPMENT OF THE FETUS. 



I. Campylorrhachis. 



We have met, in one case in the cow, a form of contracture, 

 consisting of an abrupt lateral curvature of the spine in the 

 dorsal region, by which the body was doubled upon itself in the 

 middle in such a way that the two posterior feet lay with their 

 ventral surfaces upward, alongside the two anterior feet, with 

 their soles turned downward and the head resting upon them. 



The symptoms of this anomaly are peculiar and confusing. 

 The head end of the fetus offers in the typical anterior presen- 

 tation, dorso-sacral position, the anterior feet extended and the 

 nose resting upon them, while alongside them, to the right or 

 left, are the two hind feet with their plantar surfaces turned up- 

 ward and the Jiocks and buttocks readily reached. The condi- 

 tion at once gives the obstetrist the impression of twins, and the 

 chief point in diagnosis is to determine whether the symptoms 

 are due to twins or to deformity. In case of twins, one of the fe- 

 tuses may be repelled while the other is advanced, but in this 

 anomaly both the anterior and posterior portions must advance 

 or recede simultaneously. It may be possible to reach and iden- 

 tify the .spinal curvature. 



The remedy is embryotomy. The most efficient plan is the 

 subcutaneous removal of the two anterior limbs, by the method 

 described on page 645, and evisceration of the fetus, as described 

 on page 658, after which the head and neck are to be repelled, 

 the now flaccid body of the fetus converted into a posterior 

 presentation by traction upon the posterior limbs, and its ex- 

 traction accomplished. The repulsion of the anterior portion of 

 the fetus should be quite complete, and the operator should 

 continue the process with his hand as long as it is possible to 

 keep his arm in the vaginal canal alongside the advancing 

 po.sterior portion. 



2. SCHISTOCORMUvS REFLEXUS. 



On page 351, while discussing the development of the embryo, 

 we have stated that under certain conditions the amniotic fold 

 contracts in such a manner that the spinal column is forced 

 744 



