CATTLE. 



chloride of lime adminstered. A distended rumen would form an 

 almost insuperable obstacle to the return of the uterus. Two persons 

 should now support the calf-bag by means of a strong yet soft cloth, 

 while, if the placenta yet remains attached to it, a third person gently 

 separates it at every point. It would be useless to attempt to return 

 the womb until the cleap«ing is taken away, for the labor pains 

 would return as violently as before. The operator will carefully 

 remove the little collections, or bundles of blood-vessels, which belong 

 to the foetal portion of the placenta, and which are implanted into 

 the fleshy excrescences, that, for some reason, never yet fully ex- 

 plained, grow upon the surface of the impregnated womb, and grad- 

 ually disappear again after the birth of the calf. If much bleeding 

 attend this process, the parts are to be washed with a weak mixture 

 of spirit and water. The bleeding being a little stayed, and every 

 thing that may have gathered round the calf-bag being removed, the 

 assistants should raise the cloth, and bring the womb on a level with 

 the bearing ; while the surgeon, standing behind, and having his 

 hand and arm w^ell oiled, and a little oil having been likewise smeared 

 over the womb generally, places his right hand, with the fingers bent 

 or clenched, against the bottom — the very inferior and farther part 

 of that division or horn of the uterus which contained the foetus, and 

 forces it through the passage, and as far as he can into the belly ; and 

 there he retains it, while, with the other hand, he endeavors likewise 

 to force up the smaller horn, and the mouth of the womb. He will 

 find considerable difficulty in effecting this, for the strciinings against 

 him will often be immense, and sometimes, when he thinks he has 

 attained his object, the whole will again be suddenly and violently 

 expelled. A bleeding from the jugular, and the administration of a 

 couple of drachms of opium, Avill materially lessen these spasmodic 

 efforts. The surgeon must, in spite of fatigue, patiently persist in his 

 labor until his object is accomplished ; and he will be materially 

 assisted in this by having the cow either standing, or so placed on 

 straw that her hinder parts shall be considerably elevated. 



The practitioner should be careful that the parts are returned as 

 nearly as possible into their natural situation, and this he will easily 

 ascertain by examination with the hand. Much of the after quietness 

 of the animal, and the etention of the womb thus returned, will 

 depend upon this. 



Although the return of the parts to their natural situation may be 

 tolerably clearly ascertained, yet it will be prudent to provide against 

 a fresh access of pain and another expulsion of the uterus. For this 

 purpose it had been usual to pass three or four stitches of small tape 

 through the lips of the bearing ; but this is a painful thing, and some- 

 times difficult to accomplish ; and the cases are not unfrequent wheq 

 these stitches are torn out, and considerable laceration and iuflaiij' 

 mation ensue. 



