416 FCETAL DYSTOKIA. 



Baumeister and Eueff mention that in the King of Wurtemberg's 

 private stud, of 2,340 Foals produced there were only nine mon- 

 strosities, or one abnormal to 260 normal Foals. In the Hohenheim 

 dairies, among the Cows the monstrosities were only one-half per cent. 

 (1 per 200) ; Swine came next in frequency, then Goats and Sheep. 

 Among the latter there was only one monster in 768 Lambs. 



Saint-Cyr collected 71 instances (not including hydrocephalic or 

 synocephalic monsters), which were apportioned in the following 

 manner : — 



Calves 45 



Lambs and Kids - - - 16 



Pigs 4 



Kittens . . - . . 4 



Puppy 1 



Foal 1 



Though monstrosities are not rare in animals, yet all do not give rise 

 to difficult parturition ; for in some cases the deformity does not inter- 

 fere at all with birth ; in others in which the deformity is of such a 

 nature as would impede delivery, birth often occurs prematurely when 

 the foetus or foetuses are small and soft ; while even when fully 

 developed, double and triple monstrosities have been occasionally born 

 without assistance. 



Nevertheless, there is ample proof that triple, double, and even single 

 monstrosities, often require to be removed artificially, and may be 

 productive of serious consequences to the mother. These we will now 

 allude to. 



Distorted Monstrosities. 



The distorted monstrosities which Gurlt has designated Camylor- 

 rhacchis contorta, and which are characterised by abnormal situation and 

 form of different parts (Fig. 114), may occasionally, from their crooked 

 shape, prove a source of difficulty during birth. The distortion may be 

 due either to muscular contraction in the foetus, or to extraneous uterine 

 pressure, and if we glance at the figure which illustrates one variety of 

 this malformation at p. 407, w^e will readily perceive that the obstetrist 

 may indeed have a serious task before him if he is required to remove 

 such a misshapen foetus. The remarks we have made with regai'd to 

 dystokia from muscular contraction are applicable to this form of 

 monstrosity ; and in the majority of instances it will be found that 

 embryotomy, or even the Caesarian section, must be resorted to. 



Cyclopean Monstrosity. 



A Cyclopean monstrosity would not, so far as the visual deformity is 

 concerned, give any trouble to the obstetrist ; but in conjunction with 

 this condition we not unfrequently find other anomalies existing, which 

 have to be considered. 



Pseudencephalian Monstrosity. 



The head of the foetus may prove a cause of protracted or difficult 

 parturition, as we have seen when treating of hydrocephalus as a source 

 of dystokia, as well as in other kinds of anomalies when it is either 

 greatly deformed or double. We are cognisant of only one instance in 



