619 
VETERINARY OBSTETRICS. 
A MATE DESTROYED FROM DIFFICULT FOALING. 
By Andrew Calley, Smith and Farrier, Kirkton 
by Burntisland. 
Sirs, —A bay mare, aged six years, healthy, strong, and in 
good condition, and at the full period of gestation with a first 
foal, was observed to be taken with the usual symptoms of 
foaling about mid-day, on Saturday, April 23d, 1859* I was 
sent for between one and two o’clock, and found, in place of 
the head presenting, that the two fore-legs appeared externally. 
I advised that professional skill should be got without delay, 
as I foresaw difficulty and danger, if labour was long pro¬ 
tracted under such a preternatural presentation. Professor 
Dick, who was expected to be in the neighbourhood on that 
day, was sent for, but he unfortunately had been detained by 
professional business on the other side of the Forth, and his 
assistance could not therefore be obtained. Under these cir¬ 
cumstances, Mr. Gamgee, of the Edinburgh New Veterinary 
School, on his return from his usual weekly visit to Kirkcaldy, 
was called in to superintend and assist the delivery. He 
arrived between five and six in the afternoon. At that time, 
the two fore-legs, as far as the knee joints protruded externally, 
and the labour pains were strong and regular. He, after some 
few ineffectual attempts to push back the presenting parts, 
cut off both legs about the knee joints. He then introduced 
a piece of wood, pressing it strongly on the chest between 
the legs, for the purpose of getting the head brought down, 
which was doubled up, but after long and fruitless efforts 
he failed to move the head from its fixed position, and re¬ 
linquished delivery by this mode. He then ordered me to 
forge four sharp hooks of different lengths, from about twelve 
to twenty four inches, which 1 did, and when I brought them 
he caused me to introduce my hand, and fix one of them into 
the back part of the foal’s neck, and Mr. Gamgee having 
attached a rope to a ring in the end of the hook, hauled with 
all his might and main, assisted by me, to bring down or alter 
the position of the head, but all in vain. He continued for 
several hours doing his best, to relieve the mare, but to no 
purpose ; and about midnight, to which time from the hour 
of his arrival, before six o’clock, the animal had been alternately 
lying and standing, without being exhausted, and the labour 
pains continuing strong, he decided, that there was no al- 
