194 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



and rounded, and pitting on pressure with the fingers. In some 

 such cases delivery may be effected after the skin has been punctured 

 at narrow intervals to allow the escape of the fluid and then liberally 

 smeared with fresh lard. More commonly, however, it can not be 

 reached at all points to be so punctured nor sufficiently reduced to be 

 extracted whole, and resort must be had to embryotomy. 



Emphysema, ok swilling of the fetus with gas. — ^This has been 

 described as occuring in a living fetus, but I have met with it 

 only in the dead and decomposing foal after futile efforts had been 

 made for several days to effect delivery. These cases are very diffi- 

 cult, as the foal is inflated to such extent that it is impossible to 

 advance it into the passages, and the skin of the fetus and the walls 

 of the womb and vagina have become so dry that it is impracticable 

 to cause the one to glide on the other. The hair comes off any part 

 that may be seized, and the case is rendered the more offensive and 

 dangerous by the very fetid liquids and gases. The only resort is 

 embryotomy, by which I have succeeded in saving a valuable mare 

 that had carried a colt in this condition for four days. 



Contractions of muscles. — The foal is not always developed 

 symmetrically, but certain groups of muscles are liable to remain 

 short, or to shorten because of persistent spasmodic contraction, so 

 that even the bones become distorted and twisted. This is most 

 common in the neck. The bones of this part and even of the face 

 are drawn to one side and shortened, the head being held firmly to 

 the flank and the jaws being twisted to the right or left. In other 

 cases the flexor muscles of the fore limbs are contracted so that the 

 latter are strongly bent at the knee. In neither of these cases can 

 the distorted part be extended and straightened, so that body or 

 limbs must necessarily present double, and natural delivery is ren- 

 dered impossible. The bent neck may sometimes be straightened 

 after the muscles have been cut on the side to which it is turned, and 

 the bent limbs after the tendons on the back of the shank bone have 

 been cut across. FaiUng to accomplish this, the next resort is 

 embryotomy. 



Inclosed ovum, ok tumors of the fetus. — Tumors or diseased 

 growths may form on any part of the foal, internal or external, and 

 by their size impede or hinder parturition. In some cases what 

 appears as a tumor is an imprisoned and undeveloped ovum which 

 has grafted itself on the fetus. These are usually sacculated, and 

 may contain skin, hair, muscle, bone, and other natural tissues. The 

 only course to be pursued in such cases is to excise the tumor, or, if 

 this is not feasible, to perform embryotomy. 



Monstrosities.— Monstrosity in the foal is an occasional cause of 

 difficult parturition, especially such monsters as show excessive de- 

 velopment of some part of the body, a displacement or distortion of 



