54 
EXTRACTS—DIFFICULT PARTURITION. 
head, or to turn the neck in the slightest degree. I could not 
introduce my fingers between it and the shoulder. 
I then warned the owner that he must not reckon upon the 
foal, and that the mother was in imminent danger. Not seeing 
any method of saving her but by extracting the foal by force, I 
proposed to attempt it, and, having obtained his consent, I fixed 
a rope on the fore limbs that were presented, and at which three 
assistants were to pull—two others with a girth placed between 
the thighs held the mare, who was lying down. I then ordered 
the assistants to begin to pull, and, after the exertion of all their 
strength, the foetus was extracted dead, with the neck bent on 
the ribs. We attempted, but in vain, to place the head in its 
natural position—the right side of it, flattened and even crushed, 
perfectly fitted a concavity in the right flank. 
The vulva was a little torn at its superior part: it was much 
swelled, and its lining membrane was of a violet colour. The 
mare lay three days before she attempted to get up. Venesection, 
—spare diet—gruel, in which nitre had been dissolved—injec¬ 
tions, and the application of a bran poultice to the loins, were 
the means adopted. The vulva and vagina were bathed first 
with a decoction of marshmallows, and, afterwards, with one of 
bark-large sloughs were gradually detached from them—a 
slight scissure remained on the superior part, and, for a long 
time afterwards, a white purulent foetid matter was discharged 
from the womb. 
It subsequently appeared that, although she was no less than 
seven years old, her croup had changed its form : previously it 
was a little depressed, and the attachment of the tail was low. 
The ligamento-cartilaginous substance which had united the 
sacrum to the os innominatum had been partially torn, and the 
croup had approached almost two inches nearer to a horizontal 
position. The owner, contrary to my opinion, thinking that she 
would no longer be fit for breeding, sold her to a neighbour, to 
whom she afterwards brought two good colts. 
Case II.— Feb, 12th, 1832. A strong draught mare, five 
years old, but that had been blind from a year old, belonging to 
M. Gillet, of Giesville, had been making violent efforts to foal 
during more than three hours. When I arrived, the farmer and 
his people had been attempting to assist her, and the fore legs 
had been brought almost half way out. I introduced my hand, 
and found, as in the preceding case, the rounded mass, firmly 
closing the entrance to the pelvis, and, after forcing my hand 
onward, I could just touch the poll of the foetus. I attempted,^ 
for more than a quarter of an hour, to push the body back, and 
to replace the head and neck in their natural position j but in 
