182 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



one side are completely separated from those on the other and may 

 be made to overlap and perhaps to flatten down. If this fails they 

 may be cut from the head all around the base of the rounded cranial 

 swelling by means of a guarded chisel (PI. XX, fig. 8) and mallet, 

 after which there will be no difficulty in causing them to collapse. 



DROPSY OF THE ABDOMEN OF THE CALF ( ASCITES). 



This is less frequent than hydrocephalus, but no less difficult to 

 deal with. With an anterior jDresentation the fore limbs and head 

 may come away easily enough, but no effort will advance the calf 

 beyond the shoulders. The first thought should be dropsy of the 

 belly, and the oiled hand introduced by the side of the chest will 

 detect the soft and fluctuating yet tense sac of the abdomen. If there 

 is space to allow of the introduction of an embryotomy knife, the 

 abdomen may be freely cut with this, when the fluid will escape into 

 the womb and parturition may proceed naturally. If this can not 

 be effected, a long trocar and cannula may be passed between the first 

 two ribs and straight on beneath the spine until it punctures the 

 abdomen. (PI. XVIII, fig. 2.) Then the trocar is to be withdrawn 

 and the liquid will flow through the cannula and will be hastened by 

 traction on the fore limbs. In the absence of the trocar and cannula, 

 two or three of the first ribs may be cut from the breastbone, so that 

 the hand may be introduced through the chest to puncture the dia- 

 phragm with an embryotomy knife and allow an escape of the water. 

 In some slighter cases a tardy delivery may take place without punc- 

 ture, the liquid bulging forward into the chest as the abdomen is 

 compressed in the pelvic passages. With a posterior presentation the 

 abdomen may be punctured more easily either in the "flank or with 

 a trocar and cannula through the anus. 



GENERAL DROPSY OF THE CALF. 



This occurs from watery blood or disease of some internal organ, 

 like the liver or kidney, and is recognized by the general puffed up 

 and rounded condition of the body, which pits everywhere on pres- 

 sure but without crackling. If not too extreme a case, the calf may 

 be extracted after it has been very generally punctured over the 

 body, but usually the only resort is to extract it in pieces. (See 

 " Embryotomy," p. 204.) 



s^\^:LLING of the calf with gas. 



This is usually the result of the death and decomposition of the 

 fetus when extraction has been delayed for a day or more after the 

 escape of the waters. It is impossible to extract it whole, owing to 

 its large size and the dry state of the skin of the calf, the membranes, 



