6io Veterinary Obstetrics 



ciency. After all, the gain in reference to compactness is not 

 very great. ■ If the instruments are solid throughout their entire 

 length, the case or roll to contain them is necessarily longer, but 

 need not be so wide nor so thick, and the actual cubic space oc- 

 cupied by them is not changed. The weight is no greater with 

 the solid instrument than the jointed one. It is therefore a 

 question of the form of a container and not of its cubical con- 

 tents or weight. We are therefore strongly in favor of a solid 

 instrument, believing that with it the veterinarian can do more 

 rapid, more efficient and safer work. 



The handles of obstetric instruments are variously formed and 

 have certain advantages in their structure. In our judgment 

 and experience, the most efficient handle is that consisting of an 

 oval ring of sufficient size for the insertion of a man's hand, or 

 we might say of a width of 3^ inches. The advantage of such 

 a handle is that it gives a secure hold, through which the opera- 

 tor may exert his full force in any direction that he may wish, 

 and supplies a form of handle which is not readily caught or en- 

 tangled upon surrounding objects. With this ring handle, the 

 operator or an assistant can exert his full power either in repul- 

 sion or in traction, or may revolve the instrument upon its long 

 axis or push it in any direction. The revolving of the instru- 

 ment upon its long axis is frequently of supreme importance in 

 obstetric operations, and one needs have a secure hold in order 

 to accomplish this movement. 



It is especially important to be able to rotate a chisel upon its 

 long axis when it is being driven through bones and it is desired 

 to break apart and separate the bone which has been only par- 

 tially divided. It is also highly important that the operator or 

 assistant shall be able to revolve the instrument upon its long 

 axis in case he is attempting to implant a hook in a given part. 

 The repeller also is much safer if the operator or assistant can 

 control it completely and either turn it upon its long axis or pre- 

 vent it from turning, as demanded. The other forms of handle 

 ordinarily seen in obstetric instruments are the straight or olive- 

 shaped handle, usually of wood, and the bar or transverse handle, 

 usually of metal. The olive-shaped handle is in many respects 

 the neatest and occupies less space in a container, but it is de- 

 cidedly wanting in efficiency as compared with the ring handle. 



