Lateral Deviation of the Head 769 



infected. In a few days she succumbed, and upon post-mortem 

 examination there was found a small perforation upon the floor 

 of the cervix uteri, which had caused a septic peritonitis. 



We consider forced extraction in this position in the mare as 

 unnecessary, unsurgical and brutal. There is one possible ex- 

 ception to this condemnation— if the foal is known to be alive, 

 cannot be promptly extracted otherwise and its life preserved, 

 and there is a possibility of saving its life by forced extraction. 

 Under all other conditions we hold that embryotomy is far safer 

 for the mare, requires little labor upon the part of the obstetrist, 

 is on the whole one of the easiest forms of embryotomy with 

 which the veterinary obstetrist is acquainted, and offers to him 

 the most favorable prognosis. If a fetus is so srnall that it can 

 be safely extracted by force, without correction of the deviation 

 or embryotomy, then it is so small that it need not be extracted 

 by force, because the deviation can be easily corrected or embry- 

 otomy can be very readily performed. We consequently see no 

 good reason' for forced extraction,, and consider that such a plan 

 should be constantly and vigorously condemned. As the calf has 

 a very blunt poll and a thick head, forced extraction becomes 

 highly dangerous in the cow and should not be considered. 



3. Embryotomy constitutes one of the most practical and 

 favorable methods for overcoming dystokia due to the lateral 

 deviation of the head in the mare and cow, if the displacement 

 cannot be readily corrected. Nowhere in obstetrics has embry- 

 otomy a more favorable application than in this deviation, 

 especially in those cases of foals where wry-neck is present, which 

 renders it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to bring about a 

 correction of the vicious position. In all those cases where the 

 fetus is dead and the head is deviated laterally to so great an 

 extent that it cannot be readily adjusted, or even if the fetus is 

 alive and of comparatively little value or if it is evident that its 

 life cannot be saved, embryotomj' should be proceeded with at 

 once. 



While the veterinarian should not undertake embryotomy 

 when the deviation can readily be corrected, he should be equally 

 careful not to exhaust his physical powers in a vain endeavor to 

 bring about a correction of the deviation before he resorts to 

 embryotomy. The operation consists of the subcutaneous removal 

 of one anterior limb, as described on page 645. The limb away 

 49 



