PARTURITION. 235 



number of cases for permanent displacemext of the womb, and 

 the subsequent barrenness of valuable brood mares; the fact that 

 so many mares miss being in foal after a satisfactory service, is too 

 frequently attributed to the sterilitj^ or incapacity of the stallion, 

 while the really responsible cause is that the womb of the mare 

 through the violent measures adopted at her previous parturition 

 (delivery) is displaced, and the os (or mouth) of the womb 

 instead of being in a direct line with the genital canal is drawn on 

 one side or the other so that the semen, when discharged in the 

 act of copulation, cannot enter the womb but ultimately finds its 

 way on to the floor of the canal, thereafter to be washed awa}' on 

 the first act of urination; and, of course, the mare proves not to 

 ^be in foal and is a bitter disappointment to her owner; to render 

 the act of parturition a normal and spontaneous one is of the first 

 consequence to the breeder of horses, and to dispense with mechani- 

 cal interference, especially the rough and tumble sort of work so 

 often attempted by ignornant quacks and inexperienced, though 

 well-intentioned stablemen, is no less important; the author does 

 not wish it to be understood that obstetric surgery can alwaj's be 

 dispensed with; there must of necessity be cases in which the 

 presentations are so complicated and peculiar, either by reason of 

 the distorted shape of the fcetus or its excessive size, that nothing 

 short of mechanical aid will effect delivery; but these cases should 

 and might be much more rare than they are, and when mechani- 

 cal aid is absolutely required it should be entrusted only to a 

 skillful and experienced obstetric veterinary surgeon; indeed, we 

 go so far as to state that an unqualified man who attempts to 

 deliver a parturient animal should be amenable to the law for 

 cruelty, as in so many cases is the attempt made by those who 

 are absolutely ignorant of the anatomy of the animal. 



B}^ wa}^ of preparation for a safe and comparatively easy deliv- 

 ery the owner should see to it that the in-foal mare has ten drops 

 of tincture of Pulsatilla ix in a wineglass of water night and 

 morning regularly for a month before the date she is due to foal 

 on; and this should be given half an hour before both feeding and 

 watering. 



Space will not permit of dealing with the science of breeding 

 nor of doing anything beyond offering a few suggestions as to 

 treatment in cases of emergency; therefore it must be assumed 



