•268 CM^SAUKAN OPKRATIONS IN COWS. 
a COW, for the first time I had either heard of or seen of any such 
thing being done. The cow belonged to John Clark, of Ashley 
Dairy-house, Cheshire; she had been in very violent labour for 
two days and one night, during which time she had been attended 
by three or four persons considered well versed in these matters, 
all of whom had tried to the uttermost of their skill and power, but 
without success: they then gave it up, and I was sent for. I found 
the fore feet of the calf protruding: much force had been used by 
the parties in endeavouring to bring it forth; the head could not 
be brought into the passage. After examining as well as I could 
(for the vagina w^as so very much swelled and dry that it was with 
difficulty I could introduce my hand), T commenced to remove the 
fore legs and scapula; after which I laid hold of the head of the 
calf, but found it so large that it was impossible to bring it through 
the pelvic cavity. This circumstance I stated to the owner, and 
added, that the only chance I had left was to take the calf out at 
the cow’s side. He immediately consented I should do as I thought 
proper, as he considered the cow must certainly die under almost 
any circumstances, she being then in an exceedingly exhausted state 
from the duration and painfulness of the labour, as well as from the 
force, &c., which had been used. I operated on her much after 
the same manner as Mr. Chretien, as stated by you in the last 
number of The VETERINARIAN, though I never had seen or heard 
of such an operation on a cow before. My method differed little, 
except in the after-treatment I used sutures to the internal inci¬ 
sions, but adhesive straps to the external integuments. The calf 
when drawn forth had a strange appearance; its head was more 
than twice its natural size, but its hind parts were so very small, 
that they appeared as if wasted by absorption, being no larger 
than the hind extremities of a common sized dog. The second day 
after the operation she appeared doing very well, until the twelfth 
day, when she gave up eating, and died in the space of a few hours 
after she had shewn any unfavourable appearances. 
On examining her half an hour after death, we found a rupture 
of the diaphragm at its central part, about three inches in length, 
with much inflammation about this part, and almost in a gangrenous 
state. The incision in the side had a healthy appearance, also the 
incision in the uterus was closed, and looked quite wellj but the 
vagina was of a very dark colour, and seemed as if contused, and 
of the appearance of a black jelly * all her other parts were sound. 
She had given birth to four or five calves before this. 
My next case was a very old worn-out cow, who had exceeded 
the usual period of gestation about seventeen days; she now made 
violent efforts to expel the foetus; and, with all the means in my 
power, I could not extract it from her, though I had recourse to 
