DIAGNOSIS OP PBEGNANCY 41 



Althougli one need not fear premature birth {partus prcB- 

 maturus) as a result of careful and not too frequently repeated 

 vaginal exploration, rectal examination is of more use. This 

 method gives the best results, and is accompanied with little 

 danger. It is employed when external examination leaves 

 doubt as to whether pregnancy is present or not. Its execu- 

 tion is as follows : An assistant holds the head of the cow 

 by means of a halter, standing on the left side of the animal. 

 Another person pulls the tail to the right. The operator, 

 after oiling the right hand and arm, enters the rectum similarly 

 as described for the vaginal examination. The faeces are best 

 removed. Now the hand and arm are cleansed and again 

 introduced into the rectum. Whenever the arm enters up to 

 about one half the length of the radius, it is well to locate, at 

 the upper wall of the rectum, the promontory. This is 

 easily found. Following from here to the right and left the 

 linea innominata, the entrance of the pelvis is palpated. 

 Below, at the outer border of the pelvis, one finds a sausage- 

 shaped mass, the neck of the uterus {cervix uteri). The volar 

 surface of the hand, when advanced in a downward direction 

 from this point, detects a more or less extensive object, pro- 

 vided a foetus is present, conveying the impression as if 

 swimming in the abdominal cavity. When pressed upon by 

 the hand, it slips away, to immediately return to its original 

 position. Closer examination reveals the head and other 

 parts of the foetal body. 



From the fifth month on, rectal examination establishes 

 pregnancy with certainty. This is also possible before that 

 time in many cases, but a negative exploration does not 

 necessarily imply that the animal is not pregnant. It has 

 happened to experienced practitioners to declare a female 

 without calf, while later distinct symptoms of pregnancy 

 manifested themselves, the date of the birth showing that the 

 animal at the time of the examination had passed one-half of 

 the period of gestation. Broholm states that with some 

 practice a seven to eight weeks old foetus can be detected. 

 One should endeavor to obtain sufficient dexterity on rectal 



