VETERINARY OBSTETRICY. 
137 
Method of Extraction. 
If there is much straining, we may as well first give a strong 
dose of sedative .medicine. We must then raise the cow's hinder 
parts well up, by placing under her a quantity of dry horse-dung or 
straw. We should next well oil our arm and introduce it into the 
uterus, and try, if possible, to get hold of one of the feet, and to 
bring it up into the vagina; but if we cannot succeed in bringing 
it forward solely with our hand, we must get an assistant to force 
back the hinder parts, either into one or both hands, or into a 
forked instrument made for the purpose, while we pass our hand 
down to the foot again and carry a cord around the leg, just above 
the hoof or fetlock, and which should be given to another assist- 
ant to pull at while we carefully hold the foot in our hand and 
guard it from injuring the uterus. In some cases, when we have 
got a cord around the leg, it is a very good plan for our assistant 
not only to force the hinder parts forward by means of the breech, 
but for him to place his one hand against the point of the hock of 
the leg we are getting up, so to push the stifle forward as to get 
the whole of the foetus out of the pelvis; whereby we shall be 
more able, by pulling at the foot and leg, to flex the tibia upon the 
femur, and to draw the foot readily up. 
Sometimes it will be found, especially if the hinder parts are 
not forced pretty well out of the pelvis, or even if they are, that 
we cannot bend the leg at the hock sufficiently backwards so as 
for us to bring the leg into the passage, on account of the ten- 
dons and ligaments not permitting it ; to obviate which it will 
be found that, if we divide the tendon of the flexor metatarsi 
muscle just above the front of the hock, and before it bifurcates, 
it will enable us to straighten the leg, and flex the hock joint 
to a far greater extent than to what we could have done before, 
and which will materially assist us in accomplishing our purpose. 
But in case we cannot get it right in this way, a cord must be 
passed around the hock, and drawn sufficiently into the vagina 
to permit us to amputate the limb at this joint, just below the os 
calcis, either with a scalpel, saw, or powerful pair of amputating 
forceps; or it will answer our purpose, perhaps, quite as well if 
we can but only fracture the tibia a little way above the hock, 
which will completely obviate the objection of the hock not flex- 
ing contrary to its natural action ; or we may divide the ligaments 
on one side of the hock joint, similarly to what a butcher does, and 
afterwards break down the joint. Of course, the same methods 
must be adopted in getting one leg into the passage as with the 
other. 
VOL. XIX. 
U 
