xxxiv INTRODUCTION. 



and their medical or surgical treatment, as well as the condition of the 

 young animal after birth and up to the time of weaning, also form a 

 portion of the veterinary obstetrist's study. 



Such is the plan of the work : and I have only now to state that the 

 animals more particularly referred to are of the Horse, Ox, Dog, Pig, 

 Sheep, and Goat species ; the other creatures which man has domesti- 

 cated — such as the Elephant, Camel, Eabbit, and Cat — coming but 

 rarely within the observation of the veterinary practitioner. 



It maybe remarked that pregnancy and parturition in the domesticated 

 animals differ in several important features from these processes in the 

 human species — the differences being mainly due to the dissimilarity in 

 their respective attitudes : the quadrupedal position of the former, and 

 the horizontal direction of the trunk, giving rise to peculiarities which 

 are not observed in our own species, whose vertical and bipedal char- 

 acteristics entail wide contrasts in this respect. 



In addition to the knowledge which has been mentioned as necessary 

 for the successful prosecution of Veterinary Obstetricy, other qualifica- 

 tions must be looked upon as essential. The practitioner must be pos- 

 sessed of great tact in manipulation, a certain amount of mechanical 

 skill, much patience, and readiness in device ; and in addition, for the 

 larger animals, address, a fair amount of physical strength, and the 

 advantage which long arms and fingers confer. 



We need not allude to the immense importance of this branch of 

 Veterinary Science from an economical point of view. The ever in- 

 creasing value of nearly all the domesticated animals, and the necessity 

 for their multiplication to supply the demands and meet the requirements 

 of a widely-extending and rapidly-progressive civilization, render every- 

 thing connected with their reproduction of great moment and concern ; 

 while to assist creatures in the pangs of protracted or impotent labour, 

 and to prevent or abbreviate suffering — in all probability to preserve 

 their life — previous to, during, or subsequent to the occurrence of this 

 physiological act, is no less a duty than it should be a source of satisfac- 

 tion to the Veterinarian. 



