531 
MONSTROSITY IN A CALF— PECULIAR PRESEN- 
TATION. 
By Jas. Watson, M.R.C.Y.S., Douglas, Lanarkshire, N.B. 
Without entering upon unnecessary details respecting 
the circumstances under which attention was first called to 
this case of labour, we may state that, on arriving at the 
farm, we found that the owner and the shepherd of a neigh- 
bouring farmer had been vainly endeavouring for upwards 
of two hours to extract the calf. The cow was standing, and 
two of the feet of the foetus were protruding from the vagina. 
An exploration proved that the calf was malformed, from the 
fact of the heart and intestines being exposed, also from 
there being a large distended sac on the cranium, as well as 
from the circumstance of there being three extremities. Both 
the head and the tail presented themselves in the passage, 
while the fourth leg, a fore one, was felt doubled up and 
completely enclosed in a sort of bag. The first thing that 
was done for the purpose of assisting delivery was to introduce 
a trochar and puncture the distended sac on the cranium. Next 
the confined limb was set free by making an incision into the 
bag containing it ; then after attaching cords to two of the legs 
and trying in vain to bring the foetus into an ex tricable 
position, it was found necessary to amputate two of the 
extremities in utero. This was done by cutting the skin 
round the pastern, and ripping it up to the shoulder in the 
one case, and to the hip in the other, then skinning and dis- 
secting with the fingers and scalpel. The extremities being 
removed, cords were attached to the remaining ones, and to 
the inferior maxilla. Considerable traction was then applied, 
and the remaining part of the foetus was extracted. 
Before examining the calf the cow was attended to : a 
draught composed of Tinct. Opii ^iss, aqua q. s., was admi- 
nistered ; warm gruel was also ordered, and sedative foment- 
ations were applied to the labia, which were considerably 
swollen. In about sixteen hours after delivery Epsom salts, 
1 lb., molasses, 1 lb., in a sufficient quantity of water, were 
given. This laxative dose was to prevent constipation, and 
counteract any tendency to inflammatory fever. 
The calf was found to be a most interesting example of a 
monstrosity. Indeed almost every part was so reverse to its 
natural position that it seems vain to attempt a description 
