THE GENERATIVE APPARATUS. ' 195 



successfully operated from the linea alba behind the 

 umbilicus. The bitch again became pregnant, but died in 

 pupping. The indications for " gastro-hysterotomy " are : 

 — that delivery per vias naturales be impracticable, either 

 through mechanical impediment or on account of the foetal 

 mass being too large or impacted, that the patient be not 

 too exhausted to rally (even then it may be performed 

 to save the puppies), that the animal has no chance of safe 

 natural delivery. The operation is a laparotomy per- 

 formed in the usual manner, and the incision into the 

 uterus should be closed with catgut sutures, or, when con- 

 sidered necessary, the whole organ should be removed. 

 Cases of uterine hernia are those in which this operation 

 is most frequently performed with benefit on the bitch. 



The After-Treatment of Parturient Animals is simple 

 in the extreme ; it consists in avoidance of deleterious influ- 

 ences, in good feeding, dry housing, and not too great a 

 strain on the milking powers. When there is a large family 

 of pups, a foster-mother may be required for some of them, 

 for a bitch required to bring up too many whelps will 

 suffer from the constitutional strain in supplying enough 

 milk and will be liable to epilepsy. It should be remem- 

 bered that the milk of the foster-mother may convey 

 disease, and even, it is considered, constitutional peculiari- 

 ties, to the suckler. When a bitch will not take to a 

 foster-pup she may generally be persuaded to do so by 

 removal of her own and by sprinkling the youngster with 

 some of her milk. The bitch often devours the foetal 

 membranes, and, by a strange perversion of natural instinct, 

 may kill and eat her own progeny. This very unsatis- 

 factory tendency is much more marked in some females 

 than in others, and has been attributed to indigestion and 

 thirst. Such an animal should receive a cathartic or 

 emetic dose and be carefully watched; the desire to do 

 mischief to the young will soon pass off. She should be 

 kept quiet. 



There is for some days after parturition a discharge 

 from the vagina, the lochia corresponding to those of the 

 human female ; the modified portions of the uterine 



