DIFFICULT PARTURITION IN A MARE. 
276 
abraded surface communicated to the organ the external 
characters of a spherical mass of coagulated arterial blood. 
After being washed, it was readily placed in its natural situa¬ 
tion by gentle pressure, and its cavity explored, in order to 
recognise, and, if necessary, to correct local deviation. No 
subsequent displacement took place. Thirty-five minutes 
elapsed during the operation. The mare was now given two 
drachms of opium, followed by half a drachm every sixth 
hour; her body clothed, legs bandaged^ and an abundant bed 
allowed her in a roomy box. She was also allowed a little 
green hay; but her diet consisted chiefly of bran mashes, 
made with the infusion of linseed, which last named was her 
beverage, and which w'as freely partaken of by her. She was 
not suffered to lie down. 
During the day about half a pint of thick, dark, bloody 
urine was frequently evacuated, without any preceding or 
subsequent manifestation of uneasiness. Next day the mare 
exhibited a lively appearance, took her restricted allowance 
of food, and expressed an anxiety for more; possessed a moist 
mouth of natural temperature, warm extremities, a slight 
diaphoresis excited by the clothing, and a full, compressible 
pulse, numbering forty-eight in a minute. Her bowels had 
acted several times on soft faeces. She experienced some 
difficulty in the movement of her hinder limbs, apparently 
the effect of muscular debility ; the urine, thick and san¬ 
guineous, was passed in small quantity about every hour, 
without, however, inducing any obvious annoyance. As no 
untoward symptoms were shown, the treatment adopted was 
essentially prophylactic, and was simply comprised in the use 
of clothing, mucilaginous and demulcent aliment, and seda¬ 
tive medicine. The latter was now represented by Fleming's 
tincture of aconite, and, as a substitute for the opium pre¬ 
viously given, it was administered in doses of ten minims in 
a ball, every fourth hour, until a drachm had been given. On 
the fourth day the weakness of the hinder parts had become 
less conspicuous. The urine, still possessing its sanguineous 
appearance, had assumed a transparency, and was retained in 
considerable larger quantity. On the sixth day it had ac¬ 
quired its natural visible characters, and was evacuated 
less frequently, and in greater amount. The mare now 
appeared to possess perfect health, and, a few days more 
having elapsed, she resumed her ordinary work, in which she 
suffered no inconvenience from the effects of this apparently 
formidable and complicated parturient difficulty. 
The above case is selected from three somewhat analogous 
cases recorded in my veterinary register. 
