DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 211 



which may be felt as hard masses inside. By pressure the water bags 

 may be made to bulge out as in natural parturition, and this project- 

 ing portion may be torn or cut so as to let the liquid flow down 

 outside of the belly. The operator now plunges his hand into the 

 womb, seizes the fore or hind limbs, and quickly extracts the calf and 

 gives it to an attendant to convey to a safe place. The womb may be 

 drawn out, but not until all the liquid has flowed out^ and the fetal 

 membrances must be separated from the natural cotyledons, one by 

 one, and the membranes removed. The womb is now emptied with a 

 sponge, which has been boiled or squeezed out of a sublimate solution, 

 and if any liquid has fallen into the abdomen it may be removed in 

 the same way. A few stitches are now placed in the wound in the 

 womb, using carbolized catgut. They need not be very close to- 

 gether, as the wound will diminish greatly when the womb contracts. 

 Should the womb not contract at once it may have applied against it 

 a sponge squeezed out of a cold sublimate solution, or it may be drawn 

 out of the abdominal wound and exposed to the cold air until it 

 contracts. Its contraction is necessary to prevent bleeding from its 

 enormous network of veins. When contracted, the womb is returned 

 into the abdomen and the abdominal wound sewed up. One set of 

 stitches, to be placed at intervals of 2 inches, is passed through the 

 entire thickness of skin and muscles and tied around two quills or 

 little rollers resting on the skin. (PI. XXVIII^ fig. 7.) These 

 should be of silver, and may be cut at one end and pulled out after 

 the wound has healed. The superficial stitches are put in every half 

 inch and passed through the skin only. They, too, may be of silver, 

 or pins may be inserted through the lips and a fine cord twisted round 

 their ends like a figure 8. (PI. XXVTII, fig. 9.) The points of the 

 pins may be snipped off with pliers. The edges may be still further 

 held together by the applicati(m of Venice turpentine, melted so as to 

 become firmly adherent, and covered with a layer of sterilized cotton 

 wool. Then the whole should be supported by a bandage fixed 

 around the loins and abdomen. 



