UNUSUAL AND DIFFICULT PARTURITION. 
379 
through the symphysis pubis. Being thus driven to the employ- 
ment of force a second time, I again had recourse to the crotchet, 
and planted one in the left orbit, and the other on the lower jaw 
near the maxillary symphysis. Then, after assuring myself of 
their being securely fixed, I employed six persons to pull at the 
rope, and in a very short time the foetus was extracted. 
The exhaustion of the cow was, at first, extreme ; but, a few 
hours afterwards, she got up of her own accord, and searched for 
something to eat Nothing, however, was allowed but a little 
gruel and bran mash. The after-burden was expelled during the 
night. 
1 5th. — She was better, and searched about for food ; she like- 
wise made frequent efforts as if to expel something from the 
vagina. Emollient cataplasms were placed on the back and 
loins, and water-baths were applied under the belly. Anodyne 
injections were also administered. 
Ten days afterwards she appeared to be perfectly well, and 
returned to her former habits. 
The head turned backwards , the foetus dead, and putrefaction 
commenced. The whole body of the foetus become emphyse- 
matous. 
On April 27, 1839, I was requested to see a cow, of good con- 
stitution, six years old, and that had been several days in labour: 
she had been attended by a cowleech, who had abandoned her 
after having submitted her to the most cruel usage. 
She was lying down, and could scarcely get up. Her horns 
and ears were cold, and the pulse small and irregular; the teats 
were flabby, and she moaned from time to time. The lips of the 
vulva were engorged, and of a livid colour. 
The foetus had been dead several days, and there seemed little 
or no doubt that she would soon follow. The engorgement of the 
vulva, and the dreadful excoriations and wounds that appeared, 
too plainly shewed the violent and ill-directed measures that 
had been adopted. 
On introducing my hand, so great was the swelling, that I 
could not assure myself of the situation of the head ; I therefore, 
as in the last case, had recourse to embryotomy. After having 
separated and drawn away the fore extremities, I could ascertain 
that the head of the foetus was turned completely back towards 
the thorax ; but the engorgement was so great that I could only 
touch one of its ears. Finding it impossible to do any thing 
with the hand, I again had recourse to the crotchet, in order to 
get it, if possible, into the natural position. I succeeded in im- 
planting the crotchet in each orbit, and soon the head and neck . 
