CAESARIAN OPERATION ON A SOW. 
699 
been delivered of two pigs, and these had to be removed with 
assistance. The sow was a small one, and very fat, and appa- 
rently a cross of the Chinese breed. 
On examining the animal per vaginam I found the head of 
a pig, firmly fixed in the pelvis, which, by the aid of a hook, 
inserted in the nose, [ was able to extract. The sow was 
then left for some time, when she commenced straining 
again. After sufficient delay I made a re-examination, and 
found I could just touch the nose of another pig with the 
tips of my fingers. Two hours afterwards, finding no progress 
was made, and that the animal was evidently sinking, being 
unable to bring the abdominal muscles into play, I resolved 
on the performance of the Caesarian operation, as the only 
means of saving her. After taking all the necessary precau- 
tions, I made an incision into the right flank, about a couple 
of inches, in front of the antero-superior process of the ilium. 
On dividing the peritoneum, 1 drew up the uterus, and 
making an incision of six inches long into the right cornu, 
1 introduced my hand, and extracted the pig. I was some- 
what surprised to find that this was the only one in the 
uterus. Subsequently to removing the foetal membranes, 
and reducing the haemorrhage from the parts by the use of 
cold water, I brought the edges of the wound in the uterus 
together, and secured them by simple suture. The organ was 
then returned to its place, and I next secured the external 
wound by similar sutures. The patient was then allowed 
to rise. 
The next day, as there was a loathing of food, and a sus- 
pended action of the bowels, I administered the following : — 
P. Semina Crotoni, Jss ; 
P. Nit. Potassae, >^iij. M. 
in a quart of oatmeal gruel. 
Two days afterwards the bowels were still constipated, 
and a grumous discharge came from the uterus. The side 
operated on was also somewhat inflamed and swollen, and 
the sow still refused her food. 
I repeated the medicine, and ordered fomentations to the 
side and belly. The following day the bowels were open, and 
the animal began to feed, and in a short time was quite well. 
After suckling the pigs, the sow was put up to fatten, it 
not being considered advisable to allow her a second access 
to the male. As I had expressed a wish to see her when 
slaughtered, word was sent me on the 1 1th of Sept., exactly 
two months after the operation, that she was to be killed on 
that day. 
