DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 195 



brim of the pelvis the further procedure is as described uuder the last 

 heading. 



If, however, the case is advanced and the buttocks wedged firmly 

 into the passages, it may be impossible to safely push the fetus back 

 into the womb, and the calf must either be dragged through the pas- 

 sage as it is or the limbs or the pelvis must be cut off. To success- 

 fully extract with a breech presentation the cow must be large and 

 roomy and the calf not too large. The first step in this case is to 

 separate the pelvic bones on the two sides by cutting from before 

 backward, exactly in the median line below and where the thighs 

 come together above. This may be done with a strong embryotomy 

 knife, but is most easily accomplished with the long embryotome. 

 (PI. XX, fig. 3.) The form which I have designed (PI. XX, fig. 1), 

 with a short cutting branch jointed to the main stem, is to be pre- 

 ferred, as the short cutting piece may be folded on the main stem so 

 that its cutting edge will be covered, and it can be introduced and 

 extracted without danger. This is pushed forward beneath the calf's 

 belly, and the cutting arm opened and inserted in front of the brim 

 of the pelvis and pulled f orciby back through the whole length of the 

 pelvic bones. The divided edges are now made to overlap each other 

 and the breadth of the haunch is materially reduced. One end of the 

 cord may then be passed forward by means of a cord carrier (PI. XXI, 

 fig. 5) on the inner side of one thigh until it can be seized at the stifle 

 by the hand passed forward on the outer side of that thigh. This end 

 is now pulled back through the vagina, and the other end passed 

 through the cord carrier and passed forward on the inner side of the 

 other thigh until it can be seized at the stifle by the hand passed for- 

 ward outside that thigh. This end is drawn back through the vagina 

 like the first, and is tied around the other so as to form a running 

 noose. The rope is now drawn through the ring until it forms a tight 

 loop, encircling the belly just in front of the hind limbs. On this 

 strong traction can be made without interfering with the full flexion 

 of the limbs on the body, and if the case is a suitable one, and the 

 body of the fetus and the passages are both well lubricated with oil or 

 lard, a successful parturition may be accomplished. A less desirable 

 method is to put a rope around one thigh or a rope around each and 

 drag upon these, but manifestly the strain is not so directly on the 

 spine, and the limbs may be somewhat hampered in flexion. 



This method being inapplicable, the next resort is to cut off one or 

 both hind limbs at the hip joint. Free incisions are made on the side 

 of the haunch so as to expose the hip joint, and the muscles are cut away 

 from the head of the thigh bone down to its narrow neck, around which 

 a rope is passed and firmly fixed with a running noose. The joint is 

 now cut into all around, and while traction is made on the cord the 

 knife is inserted into the inner side of the joint and the round ligament 

 severed. The cord may now be dragged upon forcibly, and the muscles 



