DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE OEGANS. 203 



through an artificial opening in the skin, and tied firmly around 

 the skin, to be employed as a means of traction when the missing 

 limbs or the second head have been brought up into position. 



Amputation of the hind limb. — This may be required when there 

 are extra hind limbs or when the hind limbs are bent forward at hock 

 or hip joint. In the former condition the procedure resembles that 

 for removal of a fore limb, but requires more anatomical knowledge. 

 Having noosed the pastern, a circular incision is made through the 

 skin around the fetlock, and a longitudinal one from that up to the 

 groin, and the skin is dissected from the limb as high up as can be 

 reached, over the croup, if possible. Then cut through the muscles 

 around the hip joint, and, if possible, the two interarticular liga- 

 ments of the joint (pubofemoral and round), and extract the limb 

 by strong dragging. 



Amputation of the fore limbs. — ^This may usually be begun on the 

 fetlock of the limb projecting from the vulva. An embryotomy 

 knife is desirable. This knife consists of a blade with a sharp, 

 slightly hooked point, and one or two rings in the back of the blade 

 large enough to fit on the middle finger, while the blade is protected 

 in the palm of the hand. (See Plate XIII, fig. 4.) Another form 

 has the blade inserted in a mortise in the handle, from which it is 

 pushed out by a movable button when wanted. First place a noose 

 around the fetlock of the limb to be amputated, cut the skin circu- 

 larly entirely around the fetlock, then make an incision on the inner 

 side of the limb from the fetlock up to the breastbone. Next dissect 

 the skin from the limb, from the fetlock up to the breastbone on the 

 inner side, and as far up on the shoulder blade as possible on the 

 outer side. Finally, cut through the muscles attaching the limb to 

 the breastbone, and employ strong traction on the limb, so as to 

 drag out the whole limb, shoulder blade included. The muscles 

 around the upper part of the shoulder blade are easily torn through 

 and need not be cut, even if that were possible. In no case should 

 the fore limb be removed unless the shoulder blade is taken with it, 

 as that furnishes the greatest obstruction to delivery, above all when 

 it is no longer advanced by the extension of the fore limb, but is 

 pressed back so as to increase the already thickest posterior portion 

 of the chest. The preservation of the skin from the whole limb is 

 advantageous in various ways; it is easier to cut it circularly at the 

 fetlock than at the shoulder; it covers the hand and knife in making 

 the needful incisions, thus acting as a protection to the womb ; and 

 it affords a means of traction on the body after the limb has been 

 removed. In dissecting the skin from the limb the knife is not 

 needful at all points ; much of it may be stripped off with the fingers 

 or knuckles, or by a blunt, iron spud pushed up inside the hide, 

 which is meanwhile held tense to render the spud effective. 



