DIFFICULT PARTUEITION. 
99 
the mother, and one leg protruded. A cord was fastened round the 
leg, and the head searched for, and found reflected back on the 
side : it could not be moved, but, after many an effort, a small cord 
was passed round the lower jaw. No motion of the jaw was felt, 
and it was evident that the foetus w^as dead. The throes came on, but 
not so strongly as could be wished, and a trial w'as made to ex¬ 
tract the fawn. The lower jaw almost immediately gave way ; 
and we had no longer any chance. Give scruple doses of the 
ergot of rye every two hours. 
10^^.—There is so much emphysematous enlargement of the 
foetus, that it is impossible to introduce the hand into the pas¬ 
sage, or return the leg. The ergot of rye did its duty, and the 
frequency and force of the pains were increased ; but the head 
being doubled back on the side, this increase of uterine action 
is doing harm by exhausting her strength; and the alternative 
evidently is, either to attempt the Caesarean operation, or, as 
this emphysema is the precursor of speedy decomposition, to 
support her strength until the foetus in a manner falls to pieces. 
Therefore suspend the exhibition of the rye, and support her 
with warm gruel and ale. 
Wth .—No advance towards delivery has been made, nor can 
be, I fear : she is sadly exhausted, and refuses all food. De¬ 
composition is rapidly going on. The leg which impeded the 
passage came off at the knee, after very little force had been 
used. I could not get my hand into the uterus. Possibly the 
remainder of the leg may be drawn away to-morrow, and I shall 
be able to act upon and break down the rest: but will she live 
until the morrow? 
\2th .—She died about two o’clock this morning. We found 
very great peritoneal inflammation, and some of it of a chronic 
kind, with adhesions. Two quarts, at least, of dirty reddish-co¬ 
loured fluid were in the abdomen. There was considerable in¬ 
flammation of the peritoneal coat of the rumen. On bringing 
the uterus into view, a considerable rupture was perceived in the 
left horn, near the fundus. The edges were black and putrid, 
and it was evidently an affair of several days’ standing. It was 
probably done at the moment of fright. The head of the foetus 
was thrown back, and lay half way along the side of the little ani¬ 
mal, shewing that there was no possibility of moving it. The 
whole was one mass of putridity—the limbs dropped asunder as 
soon as lifted, and the bones of the head were as beautifully and 
perfectly separated from each other as they could have been by 
several weeks’ maceration. The whole of the uterus was in a 
state of inflammation running on to gangrene. There was not, 
