778 Veterinary Obstetrics 



of the hind feet being thrust through the floor of the uterus 

 while traction is being applied to the anterior portion and the 

 hips are advancing and passing over the bent limbs. 



We do not consider adjustment of the deviated posterior limbs 

 safe, practicable or advisable in the mare. Such an operation 

 may be wholly feasible in the cow, but dystokia of this form has 

 not been observed by us in this animal. The deviation is 

 generally observed in the mare. 



2. Forced Extraction. Other obstetrists advise forced ex- 

 traction. What success they have attained we cannot determine 

 from the literature before us, but it would appear that the posi- 

 tion is one which renders this operation specially dangerous. 

 The plan of forced extraction is to secure the two hind feet with 

 cords, advance them well under the body of the fetus, and then, 

 applying powerful traction simultaneously upon the two hind 

 limbs and the head, bring it away entire. Such a plan of delivery 

 necessarily draws the pubis forward and forces the pelvis into 

 that unfavorable position we have already described as " Inter- 

 locking of the Fetal and Maternal Pelves." 



3. Embryotomy constitutes, according to our view, the most 

 desirable and rational method for handling these cases in the 

 mare. In performing embryotomy, our chief operation would 

 be that of detruncation, page 648, repulsion of the hips, and 

 conversion of the fragment into the posterior presentation. 



In all cases of dystokia in this position, an unfavorable prog- 

 nosis should be given, whatever the method of handling. Be- 

 fore beginning his operation, the veterinarian should determine as 

 far as possible if any rupture of the uterus has been caused by 

 the two posterior feet, or if they have wounded the large uterine 

 vessels of this part, causing serious hemorrhage. 



In our practice, one mare died from uterine hemorrhage while we were 

 preparing to attempt deliver}', although the case was a very recent one and 

 had not been greatly tampered with. 



In another case, to which we have already alluded, the owner and his 

 neighbors had bisected the fetus through the thorax and left the vertebrae 

 and ribs freely exposed, and had lacerated and torn the vulva and vagina in 

 a very repulsive manner, so that, although we succeeded in detruncation at 

 the proper point and the removal of the remnant of the fetus, the lacera- 

 tions which had been caused by the owner were followed by a severe and 

 chronic infection, which not only involved the vagina and vulva, but ex- 

 tended into the bladder, causing a severe chronic purulent cystitis, from 

 which recovery was very tardy and incomplete. 



