THE LMlilLICAL CORD AS AN OL'STACLE TO BIRTH. 37'5 



hair, anomalies in or diseases of its enveloping membranes, an abnormal 

 quantity of placental fluid, anomalies in the umbilical cord, disease 

 or malformation of the young creature, or a plurality of foetuses in 

 animals ordinarily uniparous. 



CHAPTER I. 



Various Extraordinary Causes. 



The Umiulical. Cohu as an Obstacle to Birth. 



Akomalies in the umbilical cord are not a very common cause of 

 dystokia. 



The cord may be unusually short ; but this deficiency does not appear 

 to operate prejudicially in parturition, as the natural twist in it admits 

 of its elongation to a certain extent, while during the act of expulsion 

 the walls of the body of the uterus approach the cervix as the fcctus 

 advances into the vagina. Even if the coi'd happened to be too short, 

 it is questionable whether it would constitute a serious obstacle to birth, 

 as it would most probably either rupture or the placenta would separate 

 from the uterus. 



If by chance the foetus should not be expelled until it was discovered 

 that the cord was insufficiently long, this might easily be cut in the 

 vagina, as far as possible from the foetus, the ends being compressed by 

 the fingers and ligatured after deliver)'. 



In the domestic animals the cord is never so long as to occasion 

 what has been designated in human obstetrics prolajjsus of the cord, i.e., 

 its descent into the os, vagina, or outside the vulva, after rupture of the 

 membranes, and alongside the presenting part of the child — an accident 

 attended sometimes with great danger to the latter, from compression 

 of the funis. 



The comparatively short coi'd of the domestic animals also exempts 

 them to some extent from another frequent cause of difficult labour met 

 with in woman — -the coil'nvj of tlic funis around some part or parts of 

 the foetus. Nevertheless, this coiling has been obsers-ed in animals — 

 more often, perhaps, with the Mare than the Cow. Havon, Dclwart, 

 Hurtrel D'Arboval, Rueflf, and Sacchers have seen the cord coiled around 

 the neck, and more especially when the foetus was in a wrong position — 

 head bent towards the flanks, near the cord. Gaven has found it round 

 the loins ; and numerous observers have noted it encircling one or 

 more of the limbs. Remondeau found Hie cord round both hocks of 

 the fcctus in an Ass ; this formed a serious obstacle to birth, and em- 

 bryotomy had to be resorted to before delivery was effected. Daubenton 

 had remarked the frequency of leg coils in Sheep. 



Coiling of the funis around any part of the foetus is not in itself a 

 common cause of dystokia, although it may render delivery protracted 

 and fatiguing. It is more likely to induce asphyxia in the young crea- 

 ture, from the stretching and diminished calibre of the bloodvessels 

 composing it, and consequent check to the flow of blood. 



Rainard is of opinion that the obstacle to parturition from coiling is 

 less serious in the Mare and Carnivorous animals than other creatures, 

 because of the readiness with which the placenta is detached in them. 



