80 
DIFFICULT PARTURITION IN A COW. 
is “ honing” up towards the tail. I advised that she should be 
milked, which was done. 
26th.— Still the same, and continues to strain as before : is 
out at grass, and feeds pretty well. Repeat the aperient drink. 
June 7th . — Being veterinary surgeon to part of the North 
Salopian Cavalry, I was obliged to leave the town for a week, 
to attend upon the horses at Oswestry ; I consequently did not 
see her since the last date, but was informed that she continued 
nearly the same : this morning, however, I was sent for in a 
great hurry to her, as she had passed some of the cleansing, 
but could not calve, i went immediately, and found that about 
a third of the cleansing was forced out, and which was partially 
decomposed. I then introduced my hand, and thought that we 
were likely to have a difficult affair of it, as 1 found the os uteri 
not dilated more than four or five inches in diameter; the calf, 
in every probability, laying upon its back (when the cow stood 
up), its head not far from the os uteri, with its jaws pointing up 
towards the vertebree, and one leg presented, which was a hinder 
one. 
Now, what was to be done? The os uteri was not half suffi- 
ciently dilated for a calf to come through, nor was she “ off at the 
hips” (an invariable sign with farmers of a cow being at her time 
of calving), and it was very clear that the calf was in an unnatu- 
ral position: I therefore, after a great deal of difficulty (the parts 
being so confined, and the cow straining so much, which com- 
pletely cramped my hands and arms), found one of the fore feet. 
On pulling at it, the hoofs came off, but I got it sufficiently for- 
ward to tie a cord round it, and drew it into the passage. With 
the same difficulty I found another leg, but it turned out to be a 
hinder one, and which it must be well imagined annoyed me 
much. 1, of course, tried again, and found the other fore leg 
and secured it with a cord, and drew it also into the passage. The 
hoofs came off from all the three legs. I then secured a hook in 
the lower jaw, and used some little force to pullit into the passage, 
but could not succeed, from the fear of the hook breaking its 
hold and catching in some part of the uterus. I could not get 
a cord over the head to the neck, do what I would. If I could 
have got the head into the passage, I hoped that the os uteri would 
have dilated on pulling at the legs ; but it was all in vain, and, 
as to getting at a part of it to cut away, this also could not be 
accomplished : after all our trouble, the owner wished me to 
desist, and wait to see if the parts would dilate. I left her eat- 
ing hay. 
8th . — She is as well as might be expected ; she of course 
strains a great deal, but feels warm and comfortable. Pulse 90. 
