82 
CANINE OBSTETRICY. 
had been crying for the last thirty-six hours, without the cause of 
her agony being understood. 
The previous history, confirmed by the present appearances, told 
me there was no hope; but at the request of the owner I determined 
to do all that was in my power. I was enabled to bring the head 
a little lower, and, the labia being held asunder, I removed all of 
it but the skin, to which a piece of cord was fastened. I then 
tried to put the pup back, in order to bring forward the legs ; but 
so firm was the impactment that no motion could be induced by 
the utmost degree of force I dared apply. Many pups are, how- 
ever, delivered with the forelegs inclined backward, and the posi- 
tion of the limbs is not with these of the same importance as with 
animals which, at the time of birth, have the osseous structures 
more consolidated. I thereby resolved to make traction, and did 
so; but the parts gave way, the cervical vertebrae and a large 
portion of the skin separating from the trunk. This enabled me 
to put back with ease the remaining portion of the foetus, and some 
rest was given to the bitch. The parts were fomented, and beef-tea 
administered. 
The animal was now brought to my infirmary, and I made a 
second attempt to bring forth the mutilated pup. The bladder and 
rectum were evacuated, and a laxative administered. All the vari- 
ous forceps were used one after the other, but invariably without 
success. They tore away portions, but seemed only slightly to 
move the body ; and, after half an hour had been fruitlessly con- 
sumed, the condition of the patient obliged me to desist. 
In the course of the day a third effort on my part, in which my 
patience and ingenuity seemed to be exhausted, was attended with 
no better result. I gave orders to support the animal with strong 
beef-tea ; and in the evening, when the medicine acted, the throes 
returned, but the position of the foetus continued the same — suffi- 
ciently forward to be felt with the finger, but refusing to move 
under any force which I had the power of exerting. 
I was obliged to meet my pupils in the evening, and was not 
sorry to leave a case which had now, in my mind, become hopeless; 
but as I walked I could not forbear thinking of that which had 
occupied most of my attention during the day. The different in- 
struments employed to facilitate the labours of different animals 
passed in review before me ; but some were not applicable to the 
dog, and others could not be manufactured with sufficient speed to 
benefit my present patient. The crotchet, used with such power 
by the human practitioner, seemed the one most likely to avail ; 
indeed, it had often before occurred to me, that an adaptation of 
this instrument would, in our hands, be of infinite service : and, 
after I had dismissed my class, I hurried to procure what I had 
