DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE OEGANS. 203 



skin around the body at some distance from the vulva, and with hand, 

 knife, and spud detach it from the trunk as far back into the passages 

 as can be reached. Next cut across the body at the point reached, 

 beginning at the lower part (breast, belly) and proceeding up toward 

 the spine. This greatly favors the separation of the backbone when 

 reached, and further allows of its being extended so that it can be 

 divided higher up. When the backbone is reached, the knife is 

 passed between the two bones, the prominent ridges across their ends 

 acting as guides, and by dragging and twisting the one is easily 

 detached from the other. With an anterior presentation the separa- 

 tion should, if possible, be made behind the last rib, while with a 

 posterior presentation as many of the ribs should be brought away as 

 can be accomplished. Having removed one half of the body, the 

 remaining half is to be pushed back into the womb, the feet sought 

 and secured with nooses, and the second half removed in one piece 

 if possible; and if not, then after the removal of the extra limb or 

 other cause of obstruction. 



REMOVAL OF THE CONTENTS OF CHEST OR ABDOMEN. 



If the body of the calf sticks fast in the passages by reason of the 

 mere dryness of its skin and of the passages, the obstacle may be 

 removed by injecting sweet oil past the fetus into the womb through 

 a rubber or other' tube, and smearing the passages freely with lard. 

 When the obstruction depends on excess of size of the chest or abdo- 

 men, or thickening of the body from distorted spine, much advantage 

 may be derived from the removal of the contents of these great cavi- 

 ties of the trunk. We have already seen how the haunches may be 

 narrowed by cutting the bones apart in the median line below and 

 causing their free edges to overlap each other. The abdomen can be 

 cut open by the embryotomy knife or the long embryotome in the 

 median line, or at' any point, and the contents pulled out with the 

 hand, the knife being used in any case when especial resistance is 

 encountered. If the abdomen is so firmly impacted that it can not be 

 dealt with in this way, one hind limb and the hip bone on the same 

 side may be removed as described under "Amputation of the hind 

 limbs," page 202. This will allow the introduction of the hand into 

 the abdomen from behind, so as to puU out the contents. By intro- 

 ducing an embryotomy knife in the palm of the hand and cutting 

 through the muscle of the diaphragm the interior of the chest can 

 be reached in the same way and the heart and lungs removed. 



When, in dealing with an anterior presentation, it becomes neces- 

 sary to remove the contents of the chest, the usual course is to cut 

 through the connections of the ribs with the breastbone (the costal 

 cartilages) close to the breastbone on each side, and from the abdo- 

 men forward to the neck. Then cut through the muscles connecting 

 the front of the breastbone with the neck and its hinder end with the 



