490 
INVERSION OF THE UTERUS IN A MARE. 
Being situated in the midst of an agricultural district, and 
having had for a considerable number of years an extensive prac- 
tice, almost all sorts of cases of difficult parturition occasionally 
occurring, I have no doubt that I shall be borne out by all 
practitioners similarly situated, in saying, that they are the worst 
cases to which our attention can be called. In these cases of 
difficult labour I have adopted a plan different from that gene- 
rally used by the cow-doctors, of which almost every village 
possesses one, and also from most of my broth'er practitioners that 
have written on the subject. 
In the cow it is very common, more easily reduced, and not so 
dangerous as in the mare, in which it seldom happens ; but as 
several have come under my care, I will send you an account of 
a case that recently occurred, as being similar, or nearly so, to that 
which occurs in the cow. 
On the 4th of May last I was called in haste by a groom to 
attend a mare at the stables of his Grace the Duke of Buc- 
cleueh. She had been suddenly taken very ill. She belonged 
to Mr. O. Fairlie, from Ayrshire. 
Taking a few medicines that I supposed I might want, I went 
to see her, and was met by another groom at the gate, calling 
out to hurry on, as he thought she would be dead before I saw 
her. When I got to the stable, I found her down, rolling in 
great pain, as if from spasmodic colic ; and on getting time, after 
a while, to inquire what was really the matter, I was informed that 
she was found a short time before with the uterus inverted. She 
had foaled three days before, and had been looking well until 
that day. The pulse was 75, and the spasms violent. 
I immediately gave her some extract of hyoscyamus and gum 
opium dissolved in a pint of warm waiter, and proceeded to cleanse 
the uterus by fomenting it with a large cloth for about ten mi- 
nutes. By this time the sedative effect of the medicine became 
apparent, as the spasms were much less frequent, &c. I got her 
on her feet, put on a twitch, and proceeded to return the 
uterus (first having sponged it over with a little vinegar and 
water), by taking hold of a clean towel in the left hand, doubled, 
and the corners of the towel falling back on the arm, made bare for 
that purpose. I then applied the doubled fist to the fundus of 
the uterus, with the assistance of the right hand in bearing it up 
by a moderate degree of force, and returned it to its place, slowly 
withdrawing the hand, and leaving the towel for a few minutes. 
I next proceeded to remove the towel, by introducing the hand 
greased for the purpose into the vagina, taking it by the cor- 
ners, turning it several times round, and at the same time bring- 
ing it slowly out. After which, I introduced the arm to the full 
