31 
CASES OF RETENTION OF THE FCETUS, &C. 
but, unluckily, no farther examination of the uterus vvas made. 
I could not find out that she had met with any accident. It 
vvas evident the calf must have been dead some time ; but yet no 
symptoms of uneasiness were visible until putrefaction too.v 
place, which must have been very rapid indeed, as she diec 
within twenty-four hours after I first saw her. 
The rupture of the uterus was, doubtless, the result of the ex¬ 
traordinary distention of the foetus in the rapid progress of de¬ 
composition, and the cow quickly sunk under the constitutional 
disturbance hereby occasioned. 
Mr. King, sen., has kindly added the following cases, illus¬ 
trative of the extraordinary manner in which nature will some¬ 
times bear up against these causes of disturbance. We wish 
that he would oftener favour us with these recollections of a 
long, and honourable, and successful practice. 
CASES OF RETENTION OF THE F(ETUS, WITH 
SLIGHT IMPAIRMENT OF HEALTH. 
I 
By Mr. F. King, Sen., V.S., Stanmore . 
This case of my son’s has brought to my recollection two little 
histories, which have nothing particular in them except shewing 
the extent of living power in some animals above others. If you 
think proper to attach them to his communication, do so. 
The first case occurred here in this village some years back. 
A cow, healthy, fine, and fat, was slaughtered ; and the uterus 
proved to contain the skeleton of a calf almost entire, all the soft 
parts having separated and wholly escaped. Nothing of her 
history was known. 
A few years ago I was called to see a heifer, which appeared 
to be rather losing condition, and which had been observed oc¬ 
casionally to void some offensive matter from the vagina. e- 
fore I could get to her, some portion of a calf s fore extiemity 
came away. ^The owner was very apprehensive of her well doing, 
and earnestly pressed the extraction of the remainder of the foetus. 
On examination, I found the os uteri so small and contracted, 
that I could not pass my hand. As the beast ate and drank, 
and was so little, either locally or constitutionally, disturbed, I 
persuaded him, after relating to him the previous case, to leave 
her to dame Nature, watching her in case of assistance being re¬ 
quired. He consented : and by degrees, and in detached por¬ 
tions, the greater part, or perhaps the whole (as she vvas not 
confined), of the calf came away ; and sue did well and became 
fat, and was sent to Smithfield market. 
