184 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



branes will be the first to enter the passage and the other will be 

 thereby excluded. When the membranes of both twins have burst 

 without either calf having become engaged in the pelvis, it becomes 

 possible for the fore legs of the one and the hind legs of the other to 

 enter at one time, and if the straining is very violent they may become 

 firmly impacted. (PL XVIII, fig. 1.) The condition may be recog- 

 nized by the fact that two of the presenting feet have their fronts 

 turned forward, while the two others have their fronts turned back- 

 ward. If the four feet belonged to one natural calf, they would all 

 have the same direction. By means of this difference in direction we 

 can easily select the two feet of one calf, place running nooses upon 

 them just above the hoofs or fetlocks, and have an assistant drag upon 

 the ropes while the feet of the other calf are pushed back. In select- 

 ing one of the twins to come first several considerations should have 

 weight. The one that is most advanced in the passage is, of course, 

 the first choice. Though the fore feet of one are presented, yet if the 

 head is not in place the calf presenting by its hind feet is to be chosen 

 as being less likely to obstruct. Again, if for either calf one limb only 

 is presented and the other missing, the one presenting two feet should 

 be selected to come first. As soon as the one calf has been advanced 

 so as to occupy the pelvis the other will be crowded back so that it will 

 not seriously obstruct. 



FORE LIMBS CURVED AT THE KNEE — LIMBS SPRAWLING OUTWARD. 



In this case not only are the knees somewhat bent in a curve, but 

 the calf has a position as if it rested on its breastbone, while the legs 

 were drawn apart and directed to the right and left. The shoulder 

 blades being drawn outward from the chest and the elbows turned 

 out, the muscles extending from the trunk to the limb are unduly 

 stretched and keep the knees bent and the feet directed outward so 

 as to press on the sides of the passages. They become retarded in 

 their progress as compared with the more rapidly advancing head, 

 and may bruise or even lacerate the walls of the vagina. It would 

 seem easy to rectify this by extending the legs, but the already tense 

 and overstretched muscles operate against extension in the present 

 position, and it is not easy to rotate the limbs so as to apply the shoul- 

 der flat against the side of the chest. Under these circumstances a 

 repeller (PI. XX, fig. 7) may be planted in the breast, and the body 

 of the calf pushed backward into the womb, when the limbs will 

 extend easily under traction and the presentation becomes at once 

 natural. 



FORE LIMBS CURVED AT KNEE — FLEXOR TENDONS SHORTENED. 



In this case the feet will press against the floor of the pelvis though 

 the limb has no outward direction, and the shoulder meanwhile 

 presses against the roof of the same passage. Unless the knees can 



