DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 165 



DIFFICULT PARTURITION. 



With natural presentation this is a rare occurrence. The great 

 length of the fore limbs and face entail, in the anterior presentation, 

 the formation of a long cone, which dilates and glides through the 

 passages with comparative ease. Even with the hind feet first a simi- 

 lar conical form is presented, and the process is rendered easy and 

 quick. Difficulty and danger arise mainly from the act being brought 

 on prematurely before the passages are sufficiently dilated, from nar- 

 rowing of the pelvic bones or other mechanical obstruction in the pas- 

 sages, from monstrous distortions or duplications in the fetus, or from 

 the turning back of one of the members so that the elongated conical 

 or wedge-shaped outline is done away with. But prompt as is the 

 normal parturition in the mare, difficult and delayed parturitions are 

 surrounded b}^ special dangers and require unusual precautions and 

 skill. From the proclivity of the mare to unhealthy inflammations of 

 the peritoneum and other abdominal organs, penetrating wounds of 

 the womb or vagina are liable to proA^e fatal. The contractions of the 

 womb and abdominal walls are so powerful as to exhaust and benumb 

 the arm of the assistant, and to endanger penetrating wounds of the 

 genital organs. By reason of the looser connection of the fetal mem- 

 branes with the womb, as compared with those of ruminants, the 

 violent throes early detach these membranes throughout their whole 

 extent, and the foal, being thus separated fi*om the mother and thrown 

 on its own resources, dies at an early stage of any protracted parturi- 

 tion. The foal rarely survives four hours after the onset of partu- 

 rient throes. From the great length of the limbs and neck of the foal 

 it is extremely difficult to secure and bring up limb or head which has 

 been turned back when it should have been presented. When assist- 

 ance must be rendered the operator should don a thick woolen under- 

 shirt with the sleeves cut out at the shoulders. This protects the body 

 and leaves the whole arm free for manipulation. Before inserting the 

 arm it should be smeared with lard. This protects the skin against 

 septic infection, and favors the introduction of the hand and arm. 

 The hand should be inserted with the thumb and fingers drawn to- 

 gether like a cone. Whether standing or lying, the mare should be 

 turned with head downhill and hind parts raised as much as possible. 

 The contents of the abdomen gravitating forward leave much more 

 room for manipulation. Whatever part of the foal is presented 

 (head, foot) should be secured with a cord and running noose before 

 it is pushed back to search for the other missing f)arts. Even if a 

 missing part is reached no attempt should be made to bring it up 

 during a labor pain. Pinching the back will sometimes check the 

 pains and allow the operator to secure and bring up the missing mem- 

 ber. In intractable cases a large dose of chloral hydrate (1 ounce in 



