484 OBSTETRICAL OPERATIONS. 



(7) Symjjhysiotomy ; (8) Artificial premature hirtli ; (9) Siqjplementary 

 observations regarding another and progeny. In several of these the 

 obstetrist requires the aid of assistants, who only too often have to be 

 instructed in the part they are called upon to perform at the very 

 moment their services are required. 



Not only this, but far too frequently the veterinary surgeon is not 

 called in sufficiently early, and the delay, and perchance the mal- 

 treatment to which the parturient animal' has been subjected by 

 unskilled attendants, has resulted in most serious complications, which 

 the most competent assistants can afford little service in remedying. 



CHAPTEB I. 

 Preliminary Precautions and Operations. 



A FEW observations may be made on certain precautions and opei'ations 

 which have to be attended to before any active measures are adopted 

 in cases of dystokia. And first as to the animal which is to be 

 handled. 



With the larger creatures, and especially the Mare, the position of 

 the veterinary surgeon immediately behind the posterior limbs might 

 be considered perilous, did we not know that the most irritable and 

 vicious animals are generally rendered tractable by the parturient 

 pains ; and even the hand and arm introduced into the vagina, instead 

 of provoking resentment, appear only to increase the expulsive strain- 

 ing. But it is sometimes necessary to have a strong assistant to hold 

 up a fore-foot — in the case of the Mare— while the hand is being passed 

 into the genital canal. And while manipulation is going on it is 

 advisable that the Mare's head should be held by a person the animal 

 is accustomed to ; while a strong man on one side of the hind-quarters 

 steadies this part with one hand and holds the tail aside with the 

 other, and another on the opposite side also steadies the quarter with 

 one hand, and the other hand pinches the loins when the Mare attempts 

 to strain or be restless. 



But it sometimes happens that a twitch has to be applied to the 

 nose, or side-lines or hopples put on the legs ; for the Mare is, as has 

 been already remarked, very often a most troublesome and dangerous 

 animal to deal with, and unsteady in the extreme. Not so the Cow, 

 which rarely requires any more constraint than a person holding the 

 nose and horn ; though it is advantageous to have a man on each side 

 to act in the same manner as for the Mare. 



Obstetrical manipulations are usually effected while the larger 

 animals are standing, and this is undoubtedly the most convenient 

 position. But it not infrequently happens that the veterinary surgeon 

 is called when the animal has been in labour for many hours, and per- 

 haps been roughly handled by novices ; so that, being exhausted, it has 

 assumed the recumbent position, and is disinclined to get up. This is 

 more especially the case with the Cow, for the Mare can generally be 

 induced to arise by mild persuasion ; and it has been found that the 

 sight of a dog will cause the first-named animal to start up when other 

 means fail. 



But it may be that the creature really cannot arise, or if it gets up 

 it cannot stand ; then the operator has to do as he best can while it is 



