20 
DIVISION OF THE SACRO-ISCHIATIC LIGAMENT 
IN A CASE OF DIFFICULT PARTURITION 
IN A COW. 
By F. J. B. Jones, Student R.V.C. 
( Illustrated with a plate,) 
Some one has somewhere said, that every member of a 
profession is capable of contributing something to science, if 
he will only apply himself, and put into practice, as oppor- 
tunity may offer, those principles with which he has become 
conversant, or the suggestions he may have received from 
others. 
It was during the past session that the Assistant-Professor 
of the Royal Veterinary College, Mr. G. Varnell, in one of 
his lectures on the Anatomy of the Pelvis, suggested that in 
those cases of parturition where, from the smallness of the 
pelvic opening, and the large size of the foetus, its birth was 
difficult, if not impossible, a division of the sacro-ischiatic 
ligament might be attempted. And while he doubted not of 
the success that would result from the operation, he at the 
same time threw it out rather as a dernier ressort , when the 
other ordinary obstetric measures had failed, than one to be 
frequently resorted to. Moreover, he said, it would be remem- 
bered that very few cases come under the notice of the 
veterinary surgeon, calling for the adoption of this plan ; yet 
were there but one, this might become the means of saving 
the life of a valuable animal. Little did I at that time think 
it would have fallen to my good fortune to be the first person 
(as far as I know) to prove not only the feasibility of the 
operation, but also to witness its perfect success. 
To Mr. Varnell I beg to offer my obligations, since to him 
unquestionably all the merit is due of this important operation ; 
as to Franklin is justly due the honour of proving the identity 
of lightning and electricity, although the French philoso- 
phers had established the fact before he did ; nevertheless, 
they only acted on his suggestions. Having been much grati- 
fied with this case, and the same feeling having been partici- 
pated in by others to whom it has been related by me, I have 
thought that, if greater publicity were given to it, it might be 
accompanied with a corresponding degree of benefit to the 
