PRETERNATURAL PRESENTATION OP THE HEAD. 145 
consequences arising therefrom of vital import to the prac¬ 
titioner and also to the public. 
Late on Saturday evening-, the 16th of April last, I was 
sent for by an extensive farmer at Orrock, about five miles 
distance, to attend a mare belonging to him, that required 
assistance in foaling. The mare was a healthy working 
animal, and at her full time. She was eight or nine years 
old, and had produced several living foals after ordinary 
labours. On my arrival I was informed by the overseer that 
he had examined the mare, and found the labour made no 
advance, and that it was quite different to any he had ever wit¬ 
nessed ; adding, that he considered there was no use in doing 
anything, as he believed the animal was fast sinking. She 
certainly seemed considerably exhausted from the severity 
and duration of the ineffectual labour, but by the state of the 
pulse I did not feel discouraged from attempting by manual 
assistance to accomplish delivery. 
For the purpose of examination, the mare was got up, but 
she was so weak as to be unable to stand upon her legs for 
more than a few minutes. I allowed her to rest a short time, 
before making the attempt to raise her again. When up, I 
found it impossible to operate, as she could scarcely stand 
without support. From the examination, however, I was 
enabled to make, I satisfied myself as to the precise presenta¬ 
tion of the foal. The two fore legs were protruding externally, 
while the head was turned backwards, the crown of it being 
inclined downwards in the direction of the mare^s udder, in 
place of the nose being presented in the natural way as 
resting between the advancing fore legs. 
In order to enable me to use my hand and arm more 
freely in adjusting the foetus, I directed the assistants to turn 
the mare on her back, and to raise her hind parts by placing 
trusses of straw beneath them. I then cautiously introduced 
my hand, passing it over the presenting part of the neck, and 
pressing it gradually forward until it reached the head of the 
foal. After this I directed two of the farm servants to lay 
hold of the protruding fore legs, and to press them strongly 
backwards. Their continued pressure towards that direction 
had the effect of moving the neck from its place, which 
enabled me to bring the head into the natural position, 
and which I effected without any very great effort or difficulty, 
by drawing the head towards me, having got hold first of the 
ear, and afterwards of the jaw. I attribute the comparative 
facility and short space of time with which the nose was 
altered from its abnormal to the normal position, to the par¬ 
tial moving of the neck and shoulders out of the pelvic cavity 
