ON VETERINARY OBSTETRICY. 
607 
was extracted in that doubled position ; but, as a matter of course, 
the cow did not long survive such infamous treatment. I will 
now relate the following cases, as they will, in some respects, il- 
lustrate my subject. 
False Presentation in a Cow — Rupture of the Uterus. 
About 11 P.M., April 8th, 1845, a short-horned cow, belonging 
to a farmer five miles from here, shewed signs of approaching par- 
turition. At one next morning a foot made its appearance, and, 
not seeing the other fore-foot or head, other parties were called up, 
who found them lying below. The other leg was soon righted ; 
but it took nearly an hour to raise the head and get it into its 
natural position. Great force was now used by seven men to 
draw it away, aided also by the leverage of an iron crow-bar, but 
without avail. A cord was now secured around the lower jaw, 
by which means the head was brought more forward into the 
passage, and ultimately drawn out, and the foetus extracted. On 
passing along, it may here be observed, that this is by no means 
an uncommon occurrence, and that it is absolutely necessary that 
the head itself should be pulled at and kept forward, so as for it to 
lie at full length upon the metacarpal bones, as I have frequently 
observed that, by pulling at the legs alone we seem to wedge up 
the passage by the thicker parts of the fore arms, and in some de- 
gree to force the head back from its natural position. 
The extraction of the calf occupied two or three hours. Prior 
to calving, and also during the time in removing the calf, the cow 
breathed much quicker than usual, and moaned and groaned very 
much. She strained excessively most of the time ; but it was ob- 
served that it ceased prior to the calf being extracted. 
She became gradually worse throughout the day — breathed short 
— threw her head about and to her side — and moaned very much. 
She got on her legs two or three times during the day, but soon 
was down again. About ten at night she died. The owner came 
to me about 9 P.M., but I did not see her alive. 
Post-mortem examination . — The whole of the peritoneum was 
highly inflamed. The small intestines had a very peculiar ap- 
pearance, being discoloured, thin, and very emphysematous. The 
abdomen contained about two gallons of bloody serum. The uterus 
was ruptured on its inferior surface through the whole of its coats 
for eighteen inches in length, extending through the whole of the 
