EXTRACTS—DIFFICULT PARTURITION. 
53 
means should be employed whenever there appears to be a chance 
of bringing back the head into its natural position ; but oftenest, 
and it is of that which I would chiefly speak, it is impossible to 
introduce even a finger between the neck and the body of the 
foetus. The foetus must then be drawn out in the position in 
which it is found, or recourse must be had to a cutting instru¬ 
ment. Will it be prudent to free the passage, in some measure, 
by detaching the shoulders one after the other? I think not. 
How shall we, after that, be able to act upon the foetus? Where 
will be the point d'appui ? Will it be possible to cut through the 
muscles at the base of the neck, and to disarticulate the last cer¬ 
vical vertebra, or the last but one, in spite of the violent and 
reiterated struggles of the mother, especially after she has suf¬ 
fered much from our previous attempts to deliver her ? I do 
not think that this could be done. It would be better to adopt 
the course recommended by JH. Thibaudeau {Recueil, No. de 
Mars 1831): to remove one of the fore limbs entirely—to cut 
through the costal cartilages—to open the chest through its 
whole length, and to extract its contents. By this means the 
ends of the ribs will overlap each other, diminishing the volume 
of the foetus, and facilitating its passage, notwithstanding the re¬ 
sistance offered by the bent neck. I am grateful to M. Thibau¬ 
deau for teaching me this mode of proceeding. I had no idea of 
it, when occasionally I have exhausted myself in useless efforts 
to accomplish the parturition, and when, in two instances, I was 
compelled to draw out the foetus by main force in the position in 
which it had presented itself. It was an extreme measure, to 
which I was exceedingly repugnant; and I acknowledge that 
it may well appear a rash one to the majority of my veterinary 
brethren. 
Case I.—On the 1st of May, 1831, I was sent for by M. 
Isabel, of Precorhain, to see a mare that for seven or eight hours 
had been vainly attempting to foal. The fore legs were well 
presented, indeed they had been drawn down ; but when it was 
observed that the head did not follow, the assistants had ceased 
to pull at them. It was a strong mare of about seven years 
old : she was continually straining—she was completely covered 
with perspiration, and appeared to be very much distressed. I 
introduced my arm, but I could not find the head ; a hard round 
mass closed the entrance into the pelvis, and compelled me to 
withdraw my hand. Shortly afterwards, however, I made an¬ 
other attemj)t with somewhat better success. 1 introduced the 
whole length of my arm, and following the direction of tliis body, 
I at length touched the ti[) of the ears with the extremity of my 
fingers. In vain I endeavoured to change the position of the 
