444 
’VETERINARY OBSTETRICS. 
most of us like to record our successful cases, but these, 
from the fact that we have had no extraordinary difficulties to 
overcome, are often far less instructive than our unsuccess¬ 
ful ones. I am led to make these observations from the 
manner in which your correspondents, Messrs. Aitkin and 
Balfour, have stated their cases in your February number. 
Our object in professional writing ought to be, either to pro¬ 
mulgate facts, or to solicit the opinions of the profession 55 
on obscure points of practice. After carefully reading- 
over their remarks, I can arrive at only one conclusion, 
viz., that these gentlemen lay it down as a rule, that there is 
no particular difficulty or danger attending protracted cases 
of parturition in the mare; in fact, that you “ may always 
reasonably reckon on saving your patients.” My experience 
is the reverse of this, and 1 would ask the profession is this 
their experience? I had always believed that it was a well- 
known fact that at least 60 per cent, of long-protracted cases 
of difficult parturition in the mare proved fatal to the parent; 
not so frequently from non-delivery as from exhaustion 
produced by violent exertion and loss of blood during the 
period of labour. 
I quite agree with Mr. Lawson in his statement that the 
removal of the legs at the knee-joints is worse than useless,' 
and for the reasons stated by him. If the legs are removed, 
they must be removed entire, if you would gain any advan¬ 
tage by the operation. The object in removing the legs is 
to give room for adjusting the head, and without you gain 
the space occupied by the shoulders, your operation is use¬ 
less. I have met with cases where, after finding the head, 
securing the lower jaw with a rope, and using hooks in the 
orbits as well, it was impossible to bring the head and 
neck straight, owing either to the size of the foetus or the 
enormous contraction of the uterus, or both. Under such cir¬ 
cumstances you must remove the shoulders, however difficult 
the task may be; failing to accomplish this you cannot 
deliver your patient, and in some cases it is quite impossible 
to effect it. 
Mr. Aitken tells us, at page 142—“ The mare was very rest¬ 
less, unmanageable , kicking fearfully when approached;” and 
yet we are told in the next page that the animal kept her 
legs during the whole time that he amputated both fore extre¬ 
mities. Truly Mr. A. was a most fortunate man to have 
met with such a sudden transmogrification of temperament 
in an animal upon which he had to perform a very tedious 
operation. 
