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 
smesred 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, OR SWILLING OF THE FETUS WITH G4S.—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 difli- 
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. Failing to accomplish this, the next resort is 
embryotomy. 
InNCLOSED OVUM, OR 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. 
Monstrosirires.—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 
