Maternal Organs of Reproduction in Animals. 



263 



With the birth of the young the mother experiences an 

 immediate relief, but labour is not considered to be completed 

 until the membranes have also been cast off. This is effected by 

 a more gradual and far less painful action of the uterus, which 

 first detaches the cotyledons from their numerous connexions, and 

 then ejects the membranes by an augmentation of the propulsive 

 power. After this the womb contracts with some force upon 

 itself, and thus effectually compresses the mouths of the uterine 

 vessels and stays the escape of blood. 



It is not always that delivery is accomplished with the facility 

 I have described, although the presentation is perfectly natural : 

 delay may arise from a disproportion between the size of the fcetus 

 and its dam, when force will be necessary to assist the expulsive 

 throes. This assistance ought only to be rendered during the 

 continuance of each alternate pain : by a steady adherence to this 

 rule considerable resistance may be overcome, and the life of 

 both the mother and her young preserved. We can call to mind 

 one case in particular, where we succeeded to our perfect satis- 

 faction in removing from a small Suffolk cow a calf, which 

 weighed, when taken away, no less than 8 stone; (14 lbs. to the 

 stone.) Upwards of two hours were occupied in the act ; never- 

 theless we had the gratification of being instrumental in saving 

 both the parent and her offspring. 



Protracted labour in a natural presentation may result 

 from congenital disease of the fcetus; that which is most commonly 

 met with is dropsy of the abdomen, and this is depicted in the 

 annexed sketch. Under these circumstances no advance can be 

 made by the application of a proper amount of force, and the 

 life of the fcetus should at once be sacrificed. To effect the 

 necessary reduction in the size of the body by giving an exit to the 

 fluid, a trocar of sufficient length should be thrust through the 

 chest into the abdomen (as represented in the sketch), and the 

 stilet withdrawn, when the pressure which is brought to bear on 

 the fcetus, by the traction employed, together with the labour-pains 

 of the mother, will be sufficient to forcibly drive the fluid through 

 the sheath of the instrument, thus reducing the enlarged abdomen 

 and facilitating delivery. Several years ago I was called to a 

 mare in labour, where the obstruction to its progress depended 

 on the accumulation of a large quantity of urine within the blad- 

 der of the foetus, from a congenital closure of the urachus ; the 

 case cost me a great deal of labour and anxiety ; the mare, how- 

 ever, did well ; and I make mention of the circumstance for the 

 purpose of stating that I was led to the subsequent employ- 

 ment of this instrument from the difficulty I then experienced. 

 The particulars of the case are given at length in the £ Trans- 

 actions of the Veterinary Medical Association for 1841-2.' 



