PRETERNATURAL PRESENTATIONS IN MARES. 
321 
operations with safety, however long and arduous, and prevent him from 
relinquishing their performance in despair ? If such considerations do not 
warn Mr. Gamgee, it would be well for him to reflect in time, whether the 
unnecessary sacrifice of the lives of valuable mares might not subject him 
to a legal action of damages. I am, &c., 
Andrew Callev, 
CASES OF PRETERNATURAL PRESENTATIONS 
IN MARES. 
By M. E. Naylor, M.R.C.V.S., Wakefield. 
It is long since I contributed anything to veterinary 
pathology through the pages of the Veterinarian, nor should 
I probably have been induced to do so now, but that I have 
felt somewhat disappointed in not seeing the subject of pro¬ 
tracted parturition taken up by yourselves, who are so well 
qualified for the task, in answer to the gentlemen who have 
reported cases of this kind. 
Often have I heard you say, that it was an unsuccessfully 
treated case which made a man reflect, and in many instances, 
if fairly reported, that such could not fail to be of essential 
service to our fellow practitioners. Permit me, then, to detail 
a few cases of difficult parturition, in which my assistance has 
been required, and to give you the results of my treatment of 
them. 
You are aware that we are rarely called in until all 
the neighbours and farm-servants have tried what they call 
“ their experience.” 
Case 1.—April 20th, 1836.—I was called to a village about 
five miles distant, to attend a three-year-old Suffolk cart- 
fillv, that could not foal. On mv arrival I found that both 
the fore feet of the foetus were protruding from the vagina, 
without any appearance of the head. 
As the filly was down, my first attempt was to get her on 
her feet, but in this I did not succeed. I then tried to return 
the presenting limbs of the foal, but was equally unsuccessful. 
From the time the filly had been in labour and the cold, 
clammy feel of the foetus, I felt sure it was dead; and, as such, 
I told the farmer that I saw no chance for her, but by 
extracting the foal in parts. I at once proceeded to skin the 
off fore leg from the knee upwards, and had just ordered an 
assistant, who had hold of the limb, to pull it well forward, 
as I had then partially removed the skin of the forearm, when 
