436 
EMBRYOTOMY IN A COW. 
been informed by Mr. Griffiths, inspector for Rotherham, that 
R. W. had a cow which had been in a state of great suffering all 
day from labour pains ; that the calf was dead, in an unnatural 
position ; and that every means had been used to extract the calf, 
but all to no purpose, the cow continuing unrelieved. In his 
(Mr. G.’s) opinion, there was no hope but to' slaughter the cow. 
I lost no time, but took my newly invented parturition forceps, 
and hastened to the spot. When I arrived, I found two men 
stripped, trying to extract the calf. I inquired in what position 
the calf was, when I was informed that the head was directed 
backward, and told by one of the men, that, if he could not extract 
the calf; he was sure I could not. Well, well, I said; I must try 
what can be done with it. So I stripped off my shirt, put on a 
mackintosh dress which covered me from head to foot, for the ope- 
ration, and then gently introduced my hand up the vagina, wherein 
I found both fore feet impacted, but without the head. From the 
length of time, however, the cow had been in the pains of labour, 
and from the repeated trials that had been made to relieve her, 
the vagina was so swollen, that she instantty commenced vio- 
lently to strain, so much so that it was with the greatest diffi- 
culty I could introduce my arm ; no sooner had I done so, than, in 
spite of all we could do, she lay herself down. In this way much 
time was lost ; but keeping her standing by handling her nose 
and pinching her on the back, I at last ascertained that the calf 
lay turned upon its back. I now saw no means of relieving her, 
from the swollen condition of the vagina, but by embryotomy. So 
I passed a rope around one of the fore legs of the calf, and intro- 
duced my hand as far up to the shoulder as possible, taking with 
it a slide embryotomy knife, invented by me some years ago : 
a knife that can be taken through the cavities with perfect safety 
to the place of action, where the blade can be opened and shut 
with the thumb at pleasure. I then opened the blade, and drew 
it down the limb from as far as I could reach ; opening the skin 
to below the knee, and at that point incising completely round the 
leg. I then ran my hand up between the skin and flesh, and re- 
flected the skin off as much of the limb as I could, when, by the 
assistance of a little pulling at the rope, the limb came away. I 
then searched for the head, but found it was still out of reach. I 
next took off the other limb in the manner I had the first, in order 
to give room ; and once more searched for the head, but found it 
was still out of reach. I then introduced my forceps with F 1 
attached to the rod, and secured them to the skin about midway 
along the neck. I told the assistant holding the forceps to gently 
drag in the direction that I thought would bring up the head, when 
by this means I was enabled to reach one of its ears with my hand. 
