CATTLE DURING PREGNANCY. 515 
shall content myself by occasionally alluding to those structures, 
a knowledge of which will be required to render my remarks 
as explanatory as I could wish. 
The signs of approaching parturition are, enlargement of the 
udder, sinking in of the muscles of the hips, a swollen and 
relaxed condition of the external genitals, a glairy mucous dis- 
charge from the vagina, general restlessness, and quickened 
respiration, such precursors being speedily followed by the true 
labour pains; these are evinced by the spasmodic contractions 
of the uterus, assisted by the action of the abdominal muscles 
and diaphragm ; the pains continue to increase, both in strength 
and frequency, until the neck of the uterus (which since concep- 
tion has remained closed) yields to the combined pressure, and 
admits of the delivery of the foetus. 
A natural presentation and labour consists of the protrusion 
of the placental membranes, and inclosed fluid, with the head 
and two fore feet of the foetus In the act of expulsion the 
membranes become ruptured, the contained fluid consequently 
escapes, and, by lubricating the parts, tends greatly to facilitate 
the birth of the young animal : after delivery a few trifling pains 
occur, by which the placental membranes, or after-birth, become 
expelled ; and this completes the more usual, common, but 
important act of parturition. 
It frequently happens, in the cow especially, that the pre- 
sentation of the foetus differs greatly from that just described, 
and in such cases the delivery is generally attended with more 
or less difficulty ; the assistance to be rendered in these cases 
will, of course, depend on the situation of the calf. This is to 
be ascertained by manual examination ; when our endeavours 
should be immediately directed to the replacement of it in its 
natural position, or in one as favourable to delivery as possible. 
The most frequent of all false presentations is, where the two 
fore legs are advanced into the vagina, the head being turned 
to one side : this was, probably, at the commencement of labour 
a natural presentation ; but the muzzle of the calf having caught 
the edge of the pelvis, becomes forced, by the repeated throes 
of the animal, into its present position. 
The sooner assistance is rendered in these cases the less 
difficulty will the operator experience, as each successive 
labour-pain tends to force the head still further from the vagina. 
The calf in such a case will be most usually dead; and to effect 
delivery by force, before the natural position of the foetus is 
restored, would inevitably be attended with a fatal result to the 
cow. Assistance will be best afforded in these cases by attach- 
ing a cord to each fore-leg, and again forcing them back into 
the uterus ; an assistant is then to be directed to pass a crutch, 
