DIFPICXJLT PABTURITION. 173 



through the chest, the oiled hand may be passed along beneath the 

 breast bone and the abdomen punctured. With a posterior presenta- 

 tion the abdomen must be punctured 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 ad- 

 vanced portion as soon as that has cleared the narrow passage of the 

 pelvis and passed out where it can expand. 



GENERAL DROPSY OF THE FETUS. 



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 after 

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

 of the fluid and then liberally smeared with fresh lard. More com- 

 monly, 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 FETUS WITH GAS, OR EMPHYSEMA. 



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

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

 efforts 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 fetus and the walls of the womb and vagina have become so dry 

 that it is impracticable to cause the one to glide on the other. The 

 hair comes off any part that may be seized, and the case is rendered 

 the more offensive and dangerous by the very fetid liquids and gases. 

 The only resort is embryotomy, by which I have succeeded in saving 

 a valuable mare that had carried a colt in this condition for four 

 days. 



CONTRACTIONS OP MUSCLES. 



The foal is not always developed symmetrically, but certain groups 

 of muscles are liable to remain short, or to shorten because of per- 

 sistent spasmodic contraction, so that even the bones become distorted 

 and twisted. This is most common in the neck. The bones of this 

 part and even of the face are drawn to one side and shortened, the 

 head being held firmly to the flank and the jaws being twisted to the 

 right or left. In other cases the flexor muscles of the fore limbs are 

 contracted so that these members are strongly bent at the knee. In 

 neither of these cases <B^if^g(^y^(^^pb^^^^^ extended and straight- 



