DISEASES OF CATTLE 335 



should prepare himself for it by dressing in a shirt from which the 

 sleeves have been cut off at the shoulder. This avoids danger 

 of soiling the clothing or of exposure, as is the case when the 

 shirt is removed, and yet leaves the whole arm free for the work. 

 The hand and arm should be smeared with oil, lard, or vaseline. 

 This grease should be fresh, neither salted nor rancid, and 

 should be purified by boiling or rendered antiseptic by the 

 addition of a tablespoonful of carbolic acid to the pound of 

 grease. This should always be done, as it protects both the cow 

 and the operator from infection. 



After the labor pains have lasted some time without any signs 

 of the fetus, the hand should be introduced to examine ; if the 

 water-bags have burst and neither feet nor head appear for some 

 time, if one fore foot only and the head appears, or both fore 

 feet without the head, or the head without the fore feet, and 

 if one hind foot appears without the other, make very careful 

 examination. In normal presentation the fore feet, hoofs down, 

 should first appear, then the nose. In any of these abnormal 

 presentations, secure the presented limb or head by a rope with 

 a running noose, so that in case it should slip back into the 

 womb it will not get lost during the examination, but may be 

 retained in the vagina or easily brought up again. This 

 examination can be made much easier if one turns the cow 

 with head down hill, as the internal organs gravitate forward 

 into the belly of the cow thus making more room in which to 

 bring up the missing limb or head and to manipulate the 

 fetus. In case the cow is lying down, turn her on the side 

 opposite to that on which the limb is missing, so that there 

 may be more room to arrange the fetus or to bring up the 

 missing member. 



Do not attempt to arrange the fetus, limb, or head, during 

 the labor pains, but wait until the pain has ceased and then 

 straighten out the part before the next pain comes on. One 

 must be patient and painstaking, remembering that the fetus 



