CASES OF DIFFICULT PARTURITION IN THE COW. 79 
Case II.—March 15th, 1848. Mr. Garratt, Ran Moor, near 
Sheffield, wished me to go and see one of his cows, which, he in¬ 
formed me was, he thought, going to calve, and all did not appear 
right. On my arrival, examining the cow per vaginam, I found 
the foetus had been dead some time. The hoofs came off with the 
least touch. It was a head presentation : the fore legs being both 
down in the lower part of the womb. The external parts were 
not well prepared. In fact, from inquiry of Mr. G., he informed 
me the cow appeared more prepared for calving a week ago than 
at the present time, both in her udder and other parts. The head 
had, as yet, scarcely entered the pelvis, and there was but little 
room for the hand to pass to get up the legs. I first applied my 
forceps, with rope likewise, in the nostrils, to secure the head. I 
then applied my rod forceps firmly to the lower part of the throat, 
while an assistant gently pushed back the foetus. This gave me 
room for getting up the fore legs, which was soon done, and as 
soon roped. I now applied soft soap about the foetus, likewise to 
the vagina and womb, as far as I could reach. Force was then 
applied to the ropes on the legs and nostrils; but with no avail, for 
the parts appeared so contracted that to extract the foetus without 
the use of the knife seemed certain death to the cow. Embryo¬ 
tomy was, therefore, resorted to at once. The foetus was again 
gently pushed back into the womb. I then took my bistoury, and 
ran it up one fore leg as high up on the shoulder as I possibly could 
reach; with my thumb nail I now pushed out the blade, and thus 
opened the skin from the shoulder downwards, to a little below the 
knee; at which place I cut round the leg. The whole of the limb 
was then skinned as far up as possible, by taking hold of the lower 
part of the skin, and pushing the fingers of the right hand under¬ 
neath and around the leg. The knife was then applied as much 
as possible between the shoulder and the chest. Next, force was 
applied again to this leg, whereby it was easily drawn out to the 
whole extent of the limb. The other leg was then proceeded with 
in the same manner, and extracted. An opening was next made 
into the front of the thorax, and the forceps passed into the chest 
and abdomen, and the contents of each cavity broken down or 
brought away. I may here remark, when the chest was opened, 
such was the extent of emphysema in the foetus, and so great the 
escape of foetid gas from the external pressure of the womb, that I 
was obliged for a time to desist, not being able to bear the stench 
eliminated out of the womb. A good dressing of soft soap was again 
used around the foetus, and to the inside of the womb, and the for¬ 
ceps were applied on the lower jaw. Force was now again used 
to the rope on the nose, and to the forceps on the jaw, by which 
means the head was drawn out. The forceps were now removed 
