Toiisiox OF THE riKiirs. 343 



The most recent cases recorded are two by Munich. ' In the first 

 the Mare had been showing symptoms of cohc for some days, and a 

 vaginal exploration discovered left-sided torsion of the uterus ; there 

 was a very foul odour. As the Mare was dying nothing was attempted. 

 Death was due to septic metro-peritonitis. In the second case the 

 Mare was lying down and straining violently. An examination proved 

 it to be another instance of complete left-sided torsion, which required 

 eight turns-over of the Mare to adjust ; a very small Foal was extracted, 

 but the straining continuing, the presence of another fo'tus was sus- 

 pected, and Miinich was making another exploration of the uterus, 

 when suddenly a mass of the small intestine escaped i)cr vulvavi, 

 through a tear in the upper portion of the uterus, near the pelvic inlet, 

 and at the point where he had felt the strongest tension before com- 

 mencing to untwist the organ. The Mare was destroyed, and the Toal 

 died in twelve hours. 



Torsion of the Uterus in other Animals. 



We need scarcely allude to this accident in the other animals men- 

 tioned as liable to the accident, as it is almost impossible to diagnose 

 its existence, owing to their small size. Besides, it appears to be 

 extremely rare in them. 



In multiparous animals the foetuses develop simultaneously in both 

 cornua, which, increasing in volume, yet remain independent ; so that 

 torsion may occur at or near the cervix and occlude both cornua, or 

 it may take place at any part of one cornu. In such a case, when partu- 

 rition occurs, none of the fcctuses can be expelled, or those in the non- 

 twisted cornu may be born with difficulty, and even one or more of those 

 in the twisted horn if the twist happened some distance from its base ; 

 the foetuses beyond the stricture are, of course, retained and soon perish, 

 as does the parent in the majority of cases — and generally rapidly, 

 from strangulation of the viscus. Sometimes the severe straining 

 causes extrusion of the unconstricted cornu. 



When the practitioner is called in time, detorsion may be attempted 

 by external manipulation through the abdominal walls, or even through 

 the vagina, if the animal be sufficiently large. By rolling it quickly 

 several turns and suddenly stopping, Saint-Cyr thinks detorsion might 

 be effected ; he also recommends trying brief suspension by the hind 

 legs and tlien rolling. But the difTiculty is to know in which direction 

 to roll the body. As a last resource gastrotomy or laparotomy may be 

 resorted to. 



One instance in the Eice is recorded by Lewis,- which he put right 

 by rolling the animal over five times without withdrawing his hand 

 from the vagina, and exercising slight pressure with the point of one 

 finger against the os uteri ; with each turn of the animal the canal 

 perceptibly dilated. 



Saint-Cyr^ records an instance in a four-year-old Sore, which, arrived 

 at the full period of gestation, began to strain very violently ; this con- 

 tinued for four hours, when suddenly a large mass protruded from the 

 vulva, and the animal soon died. The mass was found to be one of the 

 uterine cornua, having an extensive tear with lacerated and ecchymosed 



> Wochenttchri/t fur ThierhtUhmde, 1892. 

 ' Veterinary Journal, 1886, p. 319. 

 3 Op. cit., p. 496. 



