CONTRIBUTIONS TO COMPARATIVE PATHOLOGY. 551 
was uniformly unfortunate — and that it was only during the decline 
of the epizootic, and when the malady had generally assumed a 
benign character, and only one-third of the animals that were 
attacked perished, that inoculation was employed with success. 
If, in order to emplo)’ inoculation advantageously, it is necessary 
to choose the time when the epizootic has assumed a mild charac- 
ter, it can be of little advantage, for there will then be no material 
difference between the inoculated and the natural disease. There 
is only one circumstance under which the inoculation would be 
valuable, and that is when, in spite of all our precautions and medi- 
cine, the disease has established itself, and occupies a large space 
of country, and is fast destroying the cattle which it contains. 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO COMPARATIVE PATHOLOGY. 
No. XXIII. 
By Mr. You ATT. 
Parturition — Infantile Disease. 
On the 18th of March, 1838, connexion took place between the 
Female giraffe and one of the males, and again on the 1st of April. 
It is nearly certain that there was no other connexion. 
On the 19th of June, 1839, I was at the Gardens early in the 
morning. This was 444 days, or 63 weeks and 3 days, or 15 
lunar months, 3 weeks, and 3 days since the second connexion. I 
saw nothing in the appearance of the female to indicate the imme- 
diate commencement of parturition. She was lying down, not 
ruminating, but, as during several days past, occasionally licking 
her teats, which were swollen, and evidently painful. We had 
attempted two or three times to foment the udder, but she would 
not let us touch her. The external pudenda were not more swollen 
than during the last few days. 
At a little after twelve o’clock I was sent for in great haste, her 
labour pains having apparently commenced. I found her standing, 
and her pains regular and of moderate strength. The two fore 
legs were protruding as far as the knees. I would not interfere. 
Five or six minutes passed, and the labour made no progress. 
The muzzle then began to present itself — not between the legs, 
but bent over the left leg. I could see that the tongue was pro- 
truding, and black ; in short, that the neck, curling over the legs, the 
little one would be speedily suffocated. I endeavoured to bring 
the head back into its natural position, but could not. Not a mo- 
