16 
VETERINARY OBSTETRICY: 
THE VARIOUS PRESENTATIONS AND METHODS OF EXTRACTING 
THE FCETUS. 
By W. A. Cartwright, M.R.C. VS., Whitchurch, Salop. 
[Continued from vol. xviii, page 679.] 
Lying on its back, with the Head and Fore Feet 
PRESENTING. 
In the human subject, great stress is properly laid on having the 
head and other parts in a proper position, so as for the foetus to 
pass through the pelvis with the greatest ease, and there is not the 
least doubt but that we should attend to this principle as much as 
possible in our patients. In most of these cases in our patients 
there is no difficulty whatever in extracting the foetus in the above 
position, as it will come away nearly as easily as when put into a 
natural one ; but in pulling at the legs we must, if any thing, draw 
them more upwards towards the tail, whereby we shall make more 
room for the head. I know some persons are in the habit of lay- 
ing hold of the fore legs, and will writhe the whole body into its 
natural position ; but I think it quite unnecessary to give ourselves 
that trouble, as I have frequently extracted them in the contrary 
position, without any difficulty or bad consequences. In some of 
these cases it will be absolutely necessary to affix cords to the legs 
and jaw, and especially to the latter, in consequence of the head 
being liable to fall against the rim of the pelvis, or not come suffi- 
ciently forward ; but when the uterus acts pretty forcibly it raises 
the head up into the passage. 
Fore Legs naturally presenting — Head lying between 
the Fore Legs and under the Breast, or forced back 
towards the Withers, or against either of the Sides. 
Cases of this description are of very frequent occurrence, and 
often give us a vast deal of trouble, so much so that a person has 
observed, “ that he had never seen a case successfully treated with- 
out being obliged to dissect the foetus away;” but with this obser- 
vation I cannot at all agree, as I have frequently righted the head 
without performing embryotomy. Often it will be found that the 
head is not merely bent "back towards the body, but that, in con- 
sequence of it having lain in that position for a great length of 
time, the muscles of the neck have become shortened, and the head 
