Transverse Presentations 



787 



spinal column. The soft parts may be most conveniently sev- 

 ered with the finger knife. Evisceration, page 648, should fol- 

 low. The posterior half may be secured by means of a rope noose 

 about the lumbar vertebrse, or by hooks or cords applied inside 

 the pelvis. 



It may prove necessary to extend the embryotomy to include 

 the destruction of the pelvic girdle, pages 661 and 649. In 

 other cases, the posterior half of the fetal body may be repelled, 

 and converted into a posterior presentation. 



Fig. 137. DoRSAi< Presentation. (Franck). 



The anterior half is to be managed in a similar manner. After 

 evisceration it may be desirable to sever the ribs, page 656, so 

 as to permit the fetal chest to collapse. The remnant may now 

 be extracted by securing the dorsal vertebrse by means of a cord 

 and exerting traction upon it. 



In some cases it may be practicable or preferable to convert 

 the anterior half into the anterior presentation. 



In one instance occurring in our practice, due to abortion in 

 a mare, the fetus was in the dorsal transverse presentation, with 

 its upper hind leg extended over its back into the pelvic canal. 

 The leg could not be returned into the uterine cavity, and con- 

 sequently detruncation was effected, after which it was easy to 

 convert the posterior half into a posterior presentation, and the 

 two pieces were readily removed. 



