CHAPTER U. 
GESTATION, DISEASES AND ACCIDENT3 THESE QI\ 
PLURAL AND MULTIPLE GESTATION. TREATMENT DURING GESTATION. BIRTH. 
PROLONGED LABOR. LARGE PRESENTATION. UNNATURAL POSITIONS 
OP TIIB CALF. FLOODING. PRESENTATION OF AFTER-BIRTH. INVER- 
SION OF THE WOMB. -LANGUID LABOR. IRRITABILITY AND STRAINING. 
TEMPORARY PARALYSIS. ABORTION. rISOLATION. MILK FEVER. HAMMITIS. 
TREATMENT OF CALVES. 
/ ' 
Plural and Multiple Gestation. 
Fleming, in his work on Veterinary Obstetrics, gives a lucid and accurate 
account of single, plural, and multiple gestation in animals. 
Among the domestic animals there are species which are naturally uni- 
parous — produce only one at a birth ; and others which, in a normal or 
physiological manner, bring forth two, three, or more, at a time, and aro 
therefore designated gemelliparous or multiparous gestation, being known 
as double, triple, quadruple, &c. 
It is seldom that twins arc produced by the larger domesticated animals, 
und particularly by the mare and ass, though instances arc recorded of 
these ; while in the cow, sheep, and goat, the occurrence of twins, triplets, 
or even moro young creatures at a birth, are not so scarce. 
The causes of multiparity are not well ascertained. It may he due to 
eimultaneous ripening of two or more Graafian vesicles, which, rupturing 
at the same time, allow the escape of tho ovules they contain, a:. I which 
may become impregnated at a single coitus. Or a Graafian vesicle may 
contain two or more ovules, as Brischoff has witnessed in women : and 
these arriving together in the uterus, may be fecundated at one time. Or 
it may even happen that the vitelline membrane contains two yolks, aa 
eometimes occurs iu tho fowl’s egg ; and as the vUel'm* mass is the css en* 
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