INVERSION OF THE WOMB. 395 



incision, and retained on it by means of proper bandages, and the 

 case treated as consisting of a serious wound. 



EMBRYOTOMY. 



In cases of malformation of the calf, or when, as now and then 

 happens, the powers of nature seem to be suddenly exhausted, and 

 no stimulus can rouse the womb again to action, the destruction of 

 the foetus, should it still live, and the removal of it piecemeal, is a far 

 more humane method of proceeding, and much oftener successful. 

 All that will be necessary will be a very small kind of pruning knife, 

 already described, with the blade even a little more curved than 

 those knives generally are, and that can be carried into the passage 

 in the hollow of the hand with scarcely the possibility of woundino- 

 the cow. A case related by M. Thibeaudeau will best illustrate this 

 operation. " I amputated the left shoulder of the foetus, in spite of 

 the difficulties which tlie position of the head and neck presented. 

 Having withdrawn this limb, I made an incision through all the car- 

 tilages of the ribs, and laid open the chest through its whole extent, 

 by means of which I was enabled to extract all the thoracic viscera. 

 Thus having lessened the size of the calf, I was enabled, by pulling 

 at the remaining fore-leg, to extract the foetus without much resist- 

 ance, although the head and neck were still bent upon the chest. 

 The afterbirth was removed immediately afterwards. A cow the 

 neck of whose uterus was so constricted that the. finger could scarcely 

 be introduced ; I divided the stricture, and saved both cow and calf." 



INVERSION OF THE WOMB. 



In the convulsive efforts in order to accomplish the expulsion of 

 the foetus, the womb itself sometimes closely follows the calf, and 

 hangs from the bearing, as low as or lower than the hocks, in the 

 form of a large red or violet-colored bag. This is called " the down- 

 fall of the calf-bag^ It should be returned as soon as possible, for 

 there is usually great pressure on the neck of the womb, which 

 imjiedes the circulation of the blood, and the protruded part quickly 

 grows livid and black, and is covered with ulcerated spots, and 

 becomes gangrenous and mortified ; and this is rapidly increased by 

 the injury which the womb sustains in the continual getting up and 

 lying down of the cow in these ceases. 



The womb must first be cleansed from all the dirt which it may 

 have gathered, If much swelling has taken place, and the bag looks 

 thickened and gorged with blood, it should be liglitly yet freely 

 scarified, and the bleeding encouraged by warm fomentations. While 

 this is done, it should be carefully ascertained whether there is any 

 distension of the rurnen, and if there is, either the common puncturo 

 for hoove should be made in the flank, or a dose of the solution of tho 



