JUSK.tSKS nj- Tilt: F'KTrs. 3!t3 



matters, the residue of fibrous provender. He also considered it 

 possible that it might be of a convulsive kind, owing to disease of the 

 nerve centres. 



When the neck is affected, it is bent round to the side, the nose 

 being buried in the Hank, or even resting on the hind quarters of the 

 faHus ; and so rigidly is it curved, that not only does it resist all 

 attempts to straighten it in the uterus, but even when extracted and 

 the foetus is dead, tlie neck cannot be made to assume a rectilinear 

 direction. 



The period of gestation at which this deviation occurs is, of course, 

 dinicult to arrive at ; but Kainard and Saint-C'yr are of opinion that it 

 takes place early, as the bones of the head and neck are more or less 

 deformed in some cases (Fig. 103), the head being more especially dis- 

 torted and curved laterally, and moulded, so to speak, to tlie parts on 

 which it has rested during intra-uterine existence. 



This distortion appears to be more frequent in Solipeds, the neck of 

 which is longer than that of Ruminants or other domestic animals ; 

 and according to French writers, it appears to be more common in 

 some localities than others, and to be frequent in certain years — par- 

 ticularly in those of scarcity or bad forage. Houssard reported that 

 in Franche-Comte he had seen the majority of brood Mares abort near 

 tlie termination of pregnancy, or experience great difficulty in foaling, 

 from this abnormal distortion of the neck. Courjon, another veterinary 

 surgeon practising at Mey/.ieux, Isere, has remarked on the frequency 

 of this accident under the influence, it was presumed, of the same 

 causes. Schaack informed Saint-Cyr, that in his long experience he 

 had met with several cases of this kind, one of which was in a Calf 

 that lived, notwithstanding the deformity. 



Contraction of the limbs also appears to be more frequent in Foals 

 than Calves, and varies in degree : from slight bending at the knees — 

 which generally more or less disappears after birth, and as the animal 

 acquires strength — to extreme flexion ; so that ligaments must be 

 ruptured, and perhaps bones broken, before the distortion can be cor- 

 rected. The accident is alluded to by Favre,' Gaven,-' Lemaire, ' Verct,* 

 and Cartwright.^ 



Indications. 



The indications for delivery are the same as those which will be 

 given for extraction of the fcctus in malposition of the limbs and 

 head. 



Not infrequently recourse must be had to embryotomy ; and tlie 

 limbs more particularly require attention in this operation, as l)y divid- 

 ing the muscles, tendons, or ligaments of those which are contracted, 

 they may be straightened and delivery effected. A careful examination 

 should be made of the presenting limbs in all cases in which they are 

 found to be flexed, in order to discover whether the joints are movable ; 

 and gi-eat care ought to be exercised in using traction before they are 

 straightened or removed by the knife ; as rupture of the uterus, or 

 severe laceration of the other soft parts, may be the result. 



' La V^lifrinaire Campagnard, p. 290. 



- JouriuU d* Mil/. I'r'frinnirf, 1850, p. 201. 



* Jfi-cueil (if Mill. Velirinaire, 1856, p. 444. 



* Ihid., 1837, p. 289. 



•• 77(6 Vtttriuarinn, vol. xvi., p. 4S7 ; vol. x.x., p. ZQ^. 



