UNNATURAL PARTURITION. 495 



sinus forms, which gives infinite trouble to get it well. Should 

 this sinus be established, the only plan is, either to lay it open by 

 slitting it up with a narrow knife, or by passing a probe or other 

 similar smooth body to the end, cutting down upon it, and then 

 inserting a few threads or a piece of tape, convert it into a seton, 

 which will either eat its way out, or after a time the threads may 

 be withdrawn and the sides unite. 



UNNATURAL PARTURITION. 



I have alluded to the management of healthy parturition at 

 •page 276, but in this chapter I must say something of the proper 

 conduct to be observed where the process is disturbed by any 

 accidental complication. As, however, these unnatural labours 

 only occur in any number to the veterinary practitioner, I shall 

 take the liberty of inserting here Mr. Youatt's remarks on the 

 subject, which I believe to be truthful throughout : — 



" The pupping usually takes place from the sixty-second to 

 the sixty-fourth day ; and, the process having commenced, from 

 a quarter to three quarters of an hour generally takes place be- 

 tween the production of each puppy. 



" Great numbers of bitches are lost every year in the act of 

 parturition : there seems to be a propensity in the females to 

 associate with dogs larger than, themselves, and they pay for it 

 with their lives. The most neglected circumstance during the 

 period of pregnancy is the little exercise which the mother is 

 permitted to take, while, in point of fact, nothing tends more 

 to safe and easy parturitiou than her being permitted or com- 

 pelled to take a fair quantity of. exercise.;, .. i 



" When the time of parturition has arrived, and there is evident 



