PARTURITION IN A VALUABLE BROOD MARE. 25 
extraordinary presentation, viz., the near fore leg passed into 
the vagina, the off fore leg pointing towards the back, the 
knee being just inside the uterus. By further examination I 
found the head with its cranial part downwards, and the 
lower jaw upwards; in fact, the foetus was completely on his 
back. It therefore was an utter impossibility for the mare to 
relieve herself without the aid of veterinary science. I was 
consequently obliged to operate immediately, or else the 
animal must have soon died, and if the modus operandi is of 
any service to your valuable pages I offer it in the following 
plain manner. 
First, I secured the near fore leg with a slip knot below 
the fetlock, and advanced the limb. Secondly, I made fast 
the off fore leg just at the same place, and by passing the 
knee-joint forward with one hand I pulled the rope with the 
other, and thus both fore legs adjusted. Thirdly, my 
greatest trouble had to come, which was to secure the head. 
I felt for the mouth, and then passed a slip into it and secured 
the lower jaw, making fast the head, which is no simple task, 
especially in a nervous thoroughbred mare. Holding fast by 
my slip on the jaw, and passing my other hand into the 
uterus and under the cranial part of the head, and also lifting 
it, and at the same time gently pulling by the slip, I 
managed to get the head into the vagina, and then the foetus 
was sideways; but by pulling the top fore leg and shifting the 
head a little, I succeeded, having plenty of room, in placing 
the foetus in the proper form for delivery, and by the aid 
of three men I delivered the mare; her noble owner being 
present the whole of the time, regretting the loss of a beautiful 
colt foal by the Prime Minister.^^ As soon as that was over 
1 gave her the following : 
Spt. Ether. Nit. et Tinct. Opii, aa ^ij. 
I find this the very best agent that can be given in all these 
cases, and I have had great experience in parturition. I 
also know that nearly all mares that are operated upon by 
veterinary surgeons, as a general rule, suffer from rigors of a 
serious character. I ordered the diet to consist of bran and 
steeped oats, with chilled water, and a little hay of the very 
best character. 
I called in the afternoon, and found my patient rather un¬ 
easy from the afterbirth ; therefore I removed it, and left her 
comfortably partaking of her mash, water and hay. 
Sunday, November l6th.—I visited my patient; found her 
very stiff and rather unwilling to move; but still feeding; her 
