318 The Farmer's Veterinary Adviser. 



PREMATURE LABOE-PAINS. 



Caused by excitement of travel, goring or riding by theil 

 fellows, blows and other meclianical injuries, violent pur- 

 gation or diuresis, diseases of the digestive or urinaiy or- 

 gans or womb, ergoted grasses, etc. If there is no I'oiax- 

 ation of the pelvic ligaments and falhng in at the side of 

 the rump, no enlargement of the vulva, no dilaiation of the 

 neck of the womb nor any enlargement of the bag, place 

 in a secluded place and keep quiet by repeated doses of 

 opium. The pains will usually subside. Even if other- 

 wise apparently prepared the closed neck of the womb 

 will demand similar rest and anodynes, though a little 

 sohd extract of belladonna may in this case be smeared 

 round the neck of the womb to favor relaxation. 



Induration of the neck ov the womb is often errone- 

 ously supposed to exist iu these cases, but such a conclu- 

 sion need not be reached until the quieting treatment has 

 been followed for one or two days without success and the 

 neck of the womb remains rigid, nodular and gristly. 

 Being fully convinced that the closure is due to disease it 

 may be dilated by passing in a narrow-bladed, blunt- 

 pointed (probe-pointed) knife and cutting to the depth of a 

 quarter of an inch in four directions, upward, downward, 

 to the right and left. Then the hand may be introduced 

 with fingers and thumb drawn into the form of a cone and 

 the passage gradually dilated. Or the sponge tents used 

 by the physician may be employed. 



Twisting of the neck of the womb so that the lower 

 surface of the organ comes to look upwards or to one side, 

 is a curious form of obstruction hitherto only seen in the 

 cow. It may be surmised when labor-pains contintie 

 without any appearance of water-bags, and conclusive evi- 

 dence is furnished by the neck of the womb being closed 

 and thrown into spiral folds. Place the patient with its 

 head uphill to relax the twisted neck and introducing 

 the hand into the womb, seize the foetus and press it 

 against the uterine walls, while one or two men roU the 



