COMPLETE EMBRYOTOMY 281 



4. — Complete Embryotomy. 



Every practitioner laas his own method. One gradually 

 deviates from the original method, modifying it according to 

 one's views and experience. 



METHOD ACCORDING TO VAN DER LINDEN's (HOLLAND) 

 DESCRIPTION. 



Presentation of the Calf. — The head upon the fore legs in the 

 vagina, often tightly wedged by the attendant. The calf is 

 absolutely or relatively too large. 



Modus operandi — The vulva is washed with warm water ; 

 the fore legs are repelled, flexed at the knees, guided into the 

 uterus and placed under the belly of the calf. 



"A small hook is inserted into the nose and the head 

 drawn into the vulva as far as the eyes. Now one hook is 

 placed into the eye, an assistant pulling at it. When the legs 

 have been repelled well, the head always projects from the 

 vulva as far as the ears, and may be skinned and removed. 



The neck can be easily skinned with the hands. To do 

 this he uses liquid soap and warm water. As a consequence 

 the muscles become limp, so that the connective tissue can be 

 readily severed by the hand. When the neck is thoroughly 

 skinned and moistened with soap suds, the forceps is intro- 

 duced and the neck removed. As soon as the neck is got rid 

 of we -again go under the skin, separating the shoulder of the 

 upper fore leg, which is mainly done by the hand. After 

 separating the shoulder a strong cord is passed around the 

 neck of the scapula and the fore leg pulled out of the skin. 

 The hands are now well washed and lubricated and the other 

 leg adjusted. The obstetrician pulls on the skin of the neck, 

 an assistant on the fore leg which has been guided into the 

 pelvic passage, and in most cases the calf appears as far as the 

 withers. 



The fore leg, with the first dorsal vertebra, the anterior 

 ribs and viscera, are removed and the skin separated as far as 

 the forceps can reach. Now six or seven dorsal vertebrae are 



