154 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



SYMPTOMS OF PARTURITION. 



As the period of parturition approaches, the swelling of the udder 

 bespeaks the coming event, the engorgement in exceptional cases 

 extending forward on the lower surface of the abdomen and even -into 

 the hind limbs. For about a week a serous fluid oozes from the teat 

 and concretes as a yellow, waxlike mass around its orifice. About 

 twenty- four hours before the birth this gives place to a whitish, 

 milky liquid, which falls upon and mats the hairs on the inner sides 

 of the legs. Another symptom is enlargement of the vulva, with red- 

 ness of its lining membrane, and the escape of glairy mucus. The 

 belly droops, the flanks fall in, and the loins may even become de- 

 pressed. Finally the mare becomes uneasy, stops feeding, looks anx- 

 ious, whisks her tail, and may lie down and rise again. In many 

 mares this is not repeated, but the mare remains down ; violent con- 

 tractions of the abdominal muscles ensue; after two or three pains 

 the water bags appear and burst, followed by the fore feet of the foal, 

 with the nose between the knees, and by a few more throes the fetus 

 is expelled. In other cases the act is accomplished standing. The 

 whole act may not occupy more than five or ten minutes. This, to- 

 gether with the disposition of the mare to avoid observation, renders 

 the act one that is rarely seen by the attendants. 



The navel string, which connects the foal to the membranes, is 

 ruptured when the fetus falls to the ground, or when the mare rises, 

 if she has been down, and the membranes are expelled a few minutes 

 later. 



NATURAL PRESENTATION. 



When there is a single foal, the common and desirable presentation 

 is with the fore feet first, the nose between the knees, and with the 

 front of the hoofs and knees and the forehead directed upward toward 

 the anus, tail, and croup. (Plate X, fig. 1.) In this way the natural 

 curvature of the body of the fetus corresponds to the curve of the 

 womb and genital passages, and particularly of the bony pelvis, and 

 the foal passes with much greater ease than if it were placed with its 

 back downward toward the udder. When there is a twin birth the 

 second foal usually comes with its hind feet first, and the backs of the 

 legs, the points of the hocks, and the tail and croup are turned 

 upward toward the anus and tail of the mare. (Plate X, fig. 2.) In 

 this way, even with a posterior presentation, the curvature of the 

 body of the foal still corresponds to that of the passages, and its 

 expulsion may be quite as easy as in anterior presentation. Any 

 presentation aside from these two may be said to be abnormal and 

 will be considered under " Difficult parturition." 



