C/ESAREAN OPERATIONS IN COWS. 
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first instance from sympathy, and afterwards by the continuation 
of the diseased structure through the course of the nerves, the sci¬ 
atic becomes implicated, and its function disordered, and, as a con¬ 
sequence, produces that unequal action between flexors and ex¬ 
tensors which we denominate stringhalt. It appears from Case I, 
that the local injury may continue some time without any perma¬ 
nent disease being produced in the nerve, and even remedied; for 
twice the stringhalt was removed, and only returned upon a fresh 
injury being done to the hock. At this time I should consider the 
stringhalt as a sympathetic action of the sciatic with its suffer¬ 
ing branches at the hock, which ceased when these were relieved; 
but when the spasmodic action of the limb became confirmed, the 
probability is that the trunk of the sciatic became permanently 
affected, as was found in Mr. Spooner’s cases. I admit these are 
merely speculative opinions, unsupported by any examinations 
after death ; but cannot help thinking they have a tendency to 
support the doctrine as laid down by Mr. Spooner. 
CESAREAN OPERATIONS IN COWS. 
By Mr. J. Hayes, V.S., Rochdale. 
I HAVE performed and assisted in the operation (Csesarean) in 
nine cases, five of which were successful, and four terminated un- 
successfullv. 
My first case was in the month of May 1824. My practice 
being in a large dairy district of Cheshire, I had very frequent op¬ 
portunities of attending cows, and under difficult parturition in 
particular, for which I was no little notorious. Such difficult and 
laborious cases caused me to set my wits to work, and induced me 
to try many experiments; one result of which was a method of 
embryotomy, as described by me in The Veterinarian for 1833, 
vol. vi, p. 195. That method has rendered me incalculable satisfac¬ 
tion. Another method was the trying to remove the foetus through 
the cow’s side. Myself and another procured a bitch at her time 
of gestation; we cut through the integuments, peritoneum, and 
uterus: the incision was about three inches long from above down¬ 
wards, a little lower down than I afterwards found more proper in 
these cases. We abstracted six young puppies from the uterus, 
all alive, but one died the next day; the others were suckled 
hy the bitch, and grew up. The mother was very ill for two or 
three days after the operation; she had laxative medicine admi¬ 
nistered, and adhesive straps and plaisters were applied to the 
wound. She recovered in six weeks. 
In March 1825, I had an opportunity of trying this operation on 
