408 
C/ESAREAN OPERATIOxV. 
the calf and placental membranes. Having succeeded so far, we 
proceeded to secure the abdominal incision by sutures. Not having 
any metallic wire at hand, we employed the uninterrupted suture ; 
afterwards applying a strong canvass bandage or roller round the 
body, and securing it to a girth passed round the chest, a little 
behind the fore legs, in order to prevent its being displaced. The 
operation being now finished, we examined the state of our pa¬ 
tient, and found her to be little the worse for it. 
On examination per vaginum, we found the parts properly ar¬ 
ranged ; and yet I fancied there was some unusual bulk in the 
pelvic cavity that I could not understand : we thought that it might 
be the imperfect contraction of the uterus. We now administered 
a little medicine, and attended to every thing for her domestic com¬ 
fort, and left her about two o’clock in the afternoon. 
I saw her again at nine o’clock on the same evening. She was 
suffering very much. She had passed some faeces of a thin cha¬ 
racter, and the bowels were much inflated with gas. From the 
symptoms present, I had little doubt that there was something of a 
serious nature connected with the case, and my opinion was strength¬ 
ened by one of the family informing me that, when he first observed 
her, she was continually striking her belly with her hind feet, 
frequently lying down, and suddenly rising up again, curving her 
back, and attempting to void her urine. I was now fully con¬ 
vinced that there was some serious derangement of the bowels 
that would evidentlv in a short time run its course, and end in 
death. I at once resigned any further treatment, promising in the 
morning to inspect the carcass. 
According to promise I attended, and found the cow dead. The 
owner had removed the skin, and made all ready for the post-mor¬ 
tem examination, on which the following appearances presented 
themselves :—On cutting open the abdomen in the course of the 
linea alba to its full extent, my attention was immediately drawn 
to the pelvic region, on observing its cavity completely crammed 
with the small intestines in a far advanced state of putrefaction: 
as far as the anterior ridge of the pelvis at this place, the portion 
of intestine was completely strangulated. Anterior to this the 
bowels were free from inflammation, and the only abnormal appear¬ 
ance was the mesentery which attaches the small intestines to the 
spine, which was torn from the spine for a considerable length. 
The bladder was free from inflammation, and void of urine. 
On examination of the uterus, I found an extensive rupture of 
the broad ligaments, near to the cervix uteri. For about four inches 
there was a high degree of inflammation, clearly pointing out the 
place where it had been twisted. The other parts of the uterus 
were healthy. The incision had produced some slight vascularity 
