EXTRACTS—DIFFICULT PARTURITION. 
57 
Both tlie fore and the hind legs presented, and to an equal ex¬ 
tent, namely, almost to the knees and the hocks. When [ intro¬ 
duced my hand, one of the throes of the mother would repel it 
in spite of me, and the entrance into the pelvis was entirely closed 
by the foetus. This was the first time that I had met with such 
a case, and I was very much perplexed. I attempted, long and 
fruitlessly, to return the fore extremities, and bring the hinder 
ones farther down, and then to return the hind extremities and 
bring the others farther down. More than half an hour passed 
in this laborious work, and I had almost determined to have re¬ 
course to embryotomy. 
I however tried one manoeuvre more. I fixed a rope on each of 
the hind limbs, and confided it to my assistants. I then, with 
both hands in the vagina, seized the fore legs above the knees, 
and endeavoured to bend them, and to push them backward. 
At the same time, my assistants exerted their strength at the 
hind legs, and I had the pleasure to see the croup gradually 
advancing, and the foetus was abstracted, all four legs presenting 
at the same time, but the fore-legs pushed someway upwards, 
and coming last. It died two days afterwards, but the mother 
was soon well. 
M. Dufour, too soon lost to veterinary medicine, afterwards 
told me that this was a method of proceeding which he had 
been accustomed to adopt, and with success, instead of having- 
recourse to the knife, as most authors had advised. 
Case VI.— March, 1832. A cow, five years old, afforded 
me an unusual case. On my arrival, I found presenting at the 
vulva, a head and six extremities. It was difficult for some time 
to distinguish the fore legs from the hind ones, and those of one 
foetus from what belonged to the other. The head had only half 
protruded, and the fore legs of the foetus that had the best po¬ 
sition were not farther advanced than those of the second. The 
efforts of the mother operated equally on both of them, and the 
labour was making no progress. 
That I might not make any mistake afterwards, I attached 
threads of different colours to the legs of the one and the other. 
VV’^ith one hand I endeavoured to force back the foetus which pre¬ 
sented all four legs, while with the other hand I attempted to 
draw forward the one whose two fore legs alone were to be seen ; 
but I was unable to accomplish my purpose. When I pushed 
back the foremost one, the hinder one presented itself, and vice 
versa. I thought, however, that I could take advantage of this ; 
and placing cords round the legs of the one that was in a natural 
position, and giving them to two assistants, and then seizing the 
one whose four legs presented, grasping the anto ior legs in one 
VOL. XI. 1 
