164 



displacement backward and thus the fore limbs alone engage in the 

 passages. Here the first object is to seek and bring up the missing 

 head, and then puncture it as above suggested. 



DROPSY OF THE ABDOMEN IN THE FOAL — ASCITES. 



The accumulation of liquid in the abdominal cavity of the foetus ia 

 less frequent, but when present it may arrest parturition as completely 

 as will hydrocephalus. With an anterior presentation the foal may 

 pass as far as the shoulders, but behind this all efforts fail to secure a 

 further advance. With a posterior presentation the hind legs as far a3 

 the thighs may be expelled, but at this point all jirogress ceases. In 

 either case the oiled hand passed inward by the side of the foal will de- 

 tect the enormous distention of the abdomen and its soft, fluctuating 

 contents. The only course is to iiuncture the cavity and evacuate the 

 liquid. With the anterior presentation this may be done with a long 

 trochar and cannula, introduced through the chest and diaphragm ; or 

 with a knife an incision may be made between the first two ribs, and 

 the lungs and heart cut or torn out, when the diaphragm will be felt 

 projecting strongly forward and may be easily punctured. Should 

 there not be room to introduce the hand through the chest, the oiled 

 hand may be passed along beneath the breast bone and the abdomen 

 punctured. With a posterior presentation the abdomen must be punct- 

 ured in the same way, the hand, armed with a knife protected in its 

 palm, being passed along the side of the flank or between the hind 

 limbs. It should be added that moderate dropsy of the abdomen is not 

 incompatible with natural delivery, the liquid being at first crowded 

 back into the portion of the belly still engaged in the womb, and passing 

 slowly from that into the advanced i^ortion as soon as that has cleared 

 the narrow passage of the pelvis, and passed out where it can expand. 



GENERAL DROPSY OF THE FCETUS. 



In this case the tissues generally are distended with liquid, and the 

 skin is found at all points tense and rounded, and pitting on pressure 

 with the fingers. In some such cases delivery may be effected alter the 

 skin has been punctured at narrow intervals to allow the escape of the 

 fluid and then liberally smeared with fresh lard. More commonly, 

 however, it can not be reached at all points to be so punctured, nor 

 sufficiently reduced to be extracted whole, and resort must be had to 

 embryotomy. 



SWELLING OF THE FCETUS WITH GAS — EMPHYSEMA. 



This has been described as occurring in a living foetus, but I have 

 only met with it in the dead and decomposing foal, after futile efibrts 

 have been made for several days to effect delivery. These cases are 

 very difficult ones, as the foal is inflated to such an extent that it is 

 impossible to advance it into the passages, and the skin of the foetus 



