the Animals of the Farm. 
26L 
alteration in the position of the foetus. In either instance 
experience and manual skill are necessary to deal with the 
difficulty ; but it too often happens that brute force is used 
instead — literally brute force in some cases, as it has more 
than once occurred that a horse has been attached by means of a 
rope to the foetus, which has thus been dragged from its position. 
It would be useless to attempt, in the course of a short essay 
dealing with the common diseases and accidents which befal 
the animals of the farm, to give a description of the numerous 
malpositions which the foetus assumes, or the means of rectifying 
them ; nor is it necessary that the attempt should be made, 
as the lecture on the subject delivered many years ago by 
Professor Simonds, and published in the Society's ' Journal,' is 
within the reach of all the members ; and it is not too much 
to say that the surgery of parturition as therein described has 
not been superseded by any improved methods. 
After the act of calving has been completed without accident, 
there remains in the mind of the stock-owner a certain amount 
of apprehension, from which he cannot escape for some days ; 
and the more valuable the stock, the greater the anxiety. 
" Dropping after calving" is a disease of which most breeders 
know the serious nature. No affection is more fatal among 
breeding herds ; and in certain breeds, and notably among the 
choicest of the Channel Island races, the liability to the disorder 
seems to be most marked, and especially after the third and 
succeeding periods of calving. 
Nothing is known as to the actual causes of " dropping," and 
all that has been said about the throwing back of a large quantity 
of blood upon the system of the cow as soon as the calf is born 
may be rejected as having no meaning. The act of delivery is 
certainly of the nature of a crisis, and if " dropping " were 
usually the result of a first calving, which is the most critical 
time in an animal's life, the common explanation might be 
accepted ; but the fact is that the cow is fairly safe at the first 
and second calving, and even at the third the risk is not great ; 
but the real danger appears after the system may be supposed 
to have become accustomed to the excitement which is associated 
with the parturient period. Prevention of " dropping after 
calving " is a subject which has exercised the minds of practical 
and scientific men from time immemorial, and certain pre- 
cautions are suggested with confidence by those who have 
found them effective, a confidence which is not always justified 
by the experience of others. 
Some breeders assert that the practice of continuing to milk 
in-calf cows quite up to the time of calving is a successful 
prevention of " dropping." The more obvious plan of ceasing 
