FUNCTIONS OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 



153 



invention is a noose-tube, consisting of a tubular piece of 

 round wood, from four to six inches long, and half an inch 

 thick. The wire may either be of copper, brass, or iron, 

 about sixteen inches long (we have generally used a piece of 

 catgut, and prefer it) ; this is doubled, passed through the 

 tube to a certain extent, so as to form a loop or noose at the 

 end (Fig. 17). 



" When it is to be used, the iirst finger of the left hand 

 carries the loop into the vagina of the bitch, and slips it be- 

 hind the occiput of the puppy ; then the two ends of the wire 

 are passed through the tube, and this is pushed into the va- 

 gina under the chin of the fcetus ; the operator now tightens 

 and secures the wire, by giving it a turn round the first finger 

 of the right hand, placing "his thumb at the end of the tube 

 (Fig. 18). A little traction then extracts the fostus, and with- 

 out doing it or the bitch the least damage. We now employ 



Fig. iS. 

 Breulet's Noose fixed on the Fcetus. 



no othe'r instrument in canine obstetricy, and our success has 

 always been complete, even with the tiniest toy terriers. 



"When our assistance has been sought for in time, we 

 have generally managed, expeditiously and easily, to extract 

 the puppies alive. It will be seen that the noose is not un- 

 like the ' fillet ' used in human obstetrics." 



The crotchet or blunt hook has been recommended by 

 some authorities as an efficient obstetrical instrument, May- 

 hew observes with regard to its use : 



