640 Veterinary Obstetrics 



has been pushed into the upper flank region and the toe or fet- 

 lock is impacted against the brim of the pubis, it is important 

 that the operation be completed promptly, both because any un- 

 necessary delay may lead to a return of the foot to its former 

 position and because violent expulsive efforts of the mare may 

 cause serious injuries to the uterus or other parts. 



II. Forced Extraction. 



By forced extraction we understand the withdrawal • of the 

 fetus from the mother, through the genital canal, by the applica- 

 tion of traction, without changing the position of the fetus or any 

 of its extremities which may be deviated, or reducing its size. 

 It is applied in those cases where the abnormal size or position of 

 the fetus, or of one of its extremities, is such that the obstetrist 

 believes that it is better to draw the fetus away by force than to 

 correct the position, or deviation, or to perform embryotomy or 

 Caesarian section. 



The reasons which may prompt the obstetrist to resort to 

 forced extraction may be quite varied. It may be that forced 

 extraction will offer the best or only opportunity for saving the 

 life of the fetus. In the foal, for instance, forced extraction, in 

 rare cases, might save its life, whereas the delay which might be 

 essential to the correction of the position would lead to its death. 



From the standpoint of saving the life of the mother, it may 

 sometimes be safer to resort to forced extraction than to submit 

 her to a tedious operation, not unaccompanied by dangers, in 

 correcting the position of the fetus, in embryotomy or in Caesar- 

 ian section. As a general rule, in the larger animals embryot- 

 omy, properly carried out, is less dangerous to the mother than 

 forced extraction. It is only in very rare cases that this rule is 

 reversed. In the smaller animals embryotomy is usually im- 

 practical, and our choice of procedure frequently rests between 

 forced extraction and Caesarian section. 



From the standpoint of the operator, forced extraction is easier 

 and consumes much less time, but the results are generally un- 

 satisfactory. The higher the knowledge and skill of the veter- 

 inary obstetrist, the less frequently does he resort to forced ex- 

 traction of the fetus. 



The empiric habitually resorts to forced extraction in a very 

 brutal manner, and with great losses to the owners of patients. 



