212 DESTRUCTION OF THE PELVIC GIRDLE. 



against the maternal vulva by making an incision through 

 the skin and skin muscle. If practicable it is best at this 

 point to remove one shoulder subcutaneously, (49), and fol- 

 low with evisceration, (55), in order to give greater opera- 

 tive room and increased mobility of the fetus. Insinuate 

 the hand between the skin and the deeper structures and 

 forcibly separate it from the fetal body backward until the 

 last rib is passed, as shown at the curved line in Plate 

 XXXV. Force the finger tips through the abdominal 

 wall behind the last rib and passing along the entire border 

 of each posterior rib, separate the abdominal walls from the 

 ribs and sternum. After the abdominal muscles have been 

 detached, and the fetus has been eviscerated, rotate the 

 thorax upon its long axis which will cause a division of the 

 vertebral column near the dor.so-lumbar articulation and 

 the anterior portion of the fetus falls away. Secure the 

 two posterior feet with cords, unless this has already been 

 done, spread the detached skin, which has been pushed back 

 from the thorax, carefully over the amputation stump of 

 the lumbar vertebrae, repel these by means of the hand while 

 an assistant draws upon the cords attached to the feet, push 

 the remnant of the fetal trunk into the uterus and advance 

 the feet along the genital passages, thus converting it into 

 a posterior presentation. Ordinarily this would result in a 

 lumbo-pubic, which should be converted into the lumbo- 

 sacral position, when its extraction can be readily brought 

 about. 



52. DESTRUCTION OF THE PELVIC GiRDIvE IN THE 

 ANTERIOR PRESENTATION. 



PlATE XXXVI. 



Object. In somewhat rare instances perhaps more fre- 

 quently in the cow the pelves of the mother and fetus be- 

 come interlocked, the antero-external angle of the fetal 

 ilium I', becomimg locked with the shaft of the maternal 



