80 



litlTKXTlnX itF THE FiKT.II. KM' Kl.orES. 569 



ceeding in GO per cent, of his cases of retention. Ilering and Stock- 

 tleth also speak highly in its favour, and assert tliat it is always 

 successful, provided tliere is no mechanical obstacle to exjnilsion. 

 Baunieister and Kuefl" recommend potass carbonate in the dose of 

 4o grammes daily, at three times, in an infusion of chamomile or 

 savin. Hummer prescribes 90 gramme doses for three consecutive days, 

 and Ilertwig, Lund, and others also prescribe it with the same object. 

 Hering gives the following formula : 



Carbonate of potass - - - - 15 grammes. 

 Savin leaves - - - - - 30 ,, 



These are infused in 500 grammes of water, filtered, and administered 

 tepid. The dose to be repeated every six hours. 



Garreau lauds Caramija's uterine tincture, which he states always 

 succeeds in producing expulsion of the membranes, even when they have 

 been retained for two months after parturition. 



The formula for this tincture is given by Tabourin as follows : 



Powdered savin . . - . 050 grammes. 



Treacle 190 



Powdered cumin - - - - 125 ,, 



Essence of rue '1 . . 

 • aa 

 ,, ,, savui I 



Alcohol ------ 2 kilogrannnes. 



Garreau prescribes this tincture in doses of 100 grammes, given in 

 2 litres of savin infusion. 



Cruzel has his favourite potion, composed of 30 to 40 grammes of 

 green rue, or 10 grammes of ergot of rye and 20 grammes of powdered 

 savin, made into a decoction in a litre and a half of water. Delwart, 

 Kainard, and Schrader recommend ergot of r}'e, and Ungefrohrn stra- 

 monium seeds (30 grammes in two litres of water), which he believes 

 to be specific in their action ; he advises that linseed decoction be given 

 in the intervals, as it acts as a diuretic, and Rychner asserts that tiiis 

 simple medication is particularly useful when the fu-tal membranes are 

 so decomposed that they cannot be removed by the hand. 



The subcutaneous injection of ergotine, or ergot of rye, has also been 

 advised. l^xtract of ergot of rye, 1 to 3 grammes, dissolved in 

 glycerine and spirits of wine (15 grammes of each), has been used 

 for injection. 



Though medication lias been so highly vaunted by some authorities, 

 yet some others have not mucli faith in it. Deneubourg thinks its chief 

 advantage lies in inducing the owner of the animal to exercise patience 

 until spontaneous expulsion is effected, the least active measures being 

 the best. Other obstetrists entertain the same opinion of these 

 emmenagogues. 



For a very long time, an empirical mode of removing the placenta 

 when a part of it protruded beyond the vulva, was to exercise slight and 

 continuous traction on it by attaching a weight to the pendulous por- 

 tion : in France the farmers attach a sabot filled with gravel Favre 

 of Geneva, who notices this rude method, admits that a weight not 

 exceeding two pounds may be suspended from the membranes, which 

 are collected into a mass and tied with a piece of hemp. This method 

 is, however, objectionable from several points of view. 



Manual traction is often employed when a portion of the membranes 



