DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE OEGANS. 199 



cially applicable to the dead calf, it is also on occasions called for in 

 the case of the living. As a rule, the living calf should be preserved, 

 if possible, but if this threatens to entail the death of the cow it is 

 only in the case of offspring of rare value that its presentation is to 

 be preferred. To those acquainted with the toil, fatigue, and discom- 

 fort of embryotomy, no dissuasion is necessary so long as there is a 

 prospect of success from the simple and generally easier method of 

 rectifying the faulty position of the calf. But when the correction of 

 the position is manifestly impossible, when distortions and monstrosi- 

 ties of the fetus successfully obstruct delivery, when the pelvic pas- 

 sages are seriously contracted by fractures and bony growths, when 

 the passages are virtually almost closed by swelling, or when the calf 

 is dead and excessively swollen, no other resort may be available. In 

 many cases of distortion and displacement the dismemberment of the 

 entire calf is unnecessary, the removal of the offending member being 

 all that is required. It will be convenient, therefore, to describe the 

 various suboperations one by one and in the order in which they are 

 usually demanded. 



AMPUTATION OF THE FORK LIMB. 



In eutting off a fore limb it is the one presenting that should be 

 selected, since it is much more easily operated on, and its complete 

 removal from the side of the chest affords so much more space for 

 manipulation that it often makes it easy to bring the other missing limb 

 or the head into position. The first consideration is to skin the limb 

 from the fetlock up and leave the skin attached to the body. The rea- 

 sons for this are : (a) That the skin is the most resistant structure of 

 the limb, and when it has been removed the entire limb can be easily 

 detached; (b) the tough skin left from the amputated limb may be 

 used as a cord in subsequent traction on the body of the calf; (c) the 

 dissection and separation of the limb are far more safely accomplished 

 under the protection of the enveloping skin than if the operator's 

 hands and instruments were in direct contact with the walls of the 

 passages or womb; (d) the dissection can be much more easily effected 

 while the skin is stretched by the left hand, so as to form a compara- 

 tively firmer resistant point for the knife, than when it is attempted 

 to cut the soft, yielding, and elastic tissues which naturally offer little 

 solid resistance, but constantly recede before the cutting edge of the 

 instrument. The preservation of the skin is therefore a cardinal 

 principle in the amputation of all parts in which it is at all 

 feasible. 



The presenting foot is inclosed in a noose and drawn well out of the 

 passages. Then a circular incision through the skin is made around 

 the limb just above the fetlock. From this the skin is slit up on the 

 inner side of the limb to the breast. Then the projecting part of the 

 limb is skinned up to the vulva, traction being made on the foot by 

 an assistant so as to expose as much as possible. The embryotomy 



