DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 181 



may retard progress somewhat, and though the calf may still be born 

 tardily by the unaided efforts of the mother, it is liable to come still- 

 born, because the circulation in the cord is interrupted by compres- 

 sion before the offspring can reach the open air and commence to 

 breathe. If, therefore, it is possible to anticipate and prevent this 

 disj^lacement and compression of the navel string it should be done, 

 but if this is no longer possible, then the extraction of the calf should 

 be effected as rapidly as possible, and if breathing is not at once 

 attempted it should be started by artificial means. 



WATER IN THE HEAD (HYDROCEPHALUS) OF THE CALF. 



This is an enormous distention of the cavity holding the brain, by 

 reason of the accumulation of liquid in the internal cavities (ventri- 

 cles) of the brain substance. The head back of the eyes rises into a 

 great rounded ball (PI. XIX, figs. 4 and 5), which proves an insuper- 

 able obstacle to parturition. The fore feet and nose being the parts 

 presented, no progress can be made, and even if the feet are pulled 

 upon the nose can not by any means be made to appear. The oiled 

 hand introduced into the passages will feel the nose presenting be- 

 tween the fore limbs, and on passing the hand back over the face the 

 hard rounded mass of the cranium is met with. A sharp-pointed 

 knife or a cannula and trocar should be introduced in the palm of the 

 hand and pushed into the center of the rounded mass so as to evacu- 

 ate the water. The hand is now used to press together the hitherto 

 distended but thin and fragile walls, and the calf may be delivered 

 in the natural way. If the enlarged head is turned backward it must 

 still be reached and punctured, after which it must be brought up 

 into position and the calf delivered. 



If the hind feet present first, all may go well until the body and 

 shoulders have passed out, when further progress is suddenly ar- 

 rested by the great bulk of the head. If possible, the hand, armed 

 with a knife or trocar, must be passed along the side of the shoulder 

 or neck so as to reach and puncture the distended head. Failing in 

 this, the body may be skinned up from the belly and cut in two at the 

 shoulder or neck, after which the head can easily be reached and 

 punctured. If in such a case the fore limbs have been left in the 

 womb, these may now be brought up into the passage, and when 

 dragged upon the collapsed head will follow. 



If the distention is not sufficient to have rendered the bony walls of 

 the cranium thin and fragile, so that they can be compressed with the 

 hand after puncture, a special method may be necessary. A long 

 incision should be made from behind forward in the median line of 

 the cranium with an embryotomy knife (PI. XXI, fig. 1) or with a 

 long embryotome (PI. XX, fig. 3). By this means the bones on the 



