DIFFICULT PARTURITION AND THE AFTER-TREATMENT 
71 
ery the parts are always more or less lacerated and bruised ; 
this condition tends to inflammation of the parts, which if 
unchecked is very likely to result in one of the forms of met¬ 
ritis. Now if ergot be given it lessens the blood supply to 
these parts, by restricting the caliber of the blood vessels, 
thus relieving the congestion. Again, when labor has been 
prolonged, the walls of the uterus becomes fatigued and weak, 
and consequently it does not contract upon itself properly, 
but when aided by one or more doses of ergot, as the case 
may require, the walls contact, the blood supply is to a de¬ 
gree cut off, and the patient is past danger. 
In the case of retained placenta, or when the foetus has 
been retained until decomposition has taken place and the 
uterus contains more or less purulent material, I proceed as 
follows : After removing the membranes, etc., I use m\ hand 
as a sort of spoon or scoop and remove all fluids, debris, 
etc.; then I gave a dose of ergotine (one to two grs.), and us¬ 
ually one gr. nitro-glycerine hypodermically. 
Notwithstanding the fact that most of our best authorities 
recommend washing out the uterus with an antiseptic solu¬ 
tion, it has invariably proven harmful in my hands. Whether 
I used too strong or too weak a solution 1 am unable to say, 
but as to the results I am certain. 
In using ergot two points are gained : first the contraction 
of the uterus, thus expelling its contents and the lessening of 
its blood supply, thus lessening the danger of infection by ab¬ 
sorption ; secondly, its effect to check inflammation of the 
parts. 
There is one point to which I wish to call your attention, 
and that is, not to push the ergot too far, or it will cause the 
uterus to contract with such force as to cause the animal pain, 
which will be manifest by symptoms very similar to those of 
ordinary colic. This pain may be relieved with morphia, 
when it is necessary to push the ergot or in cases where these 
pains are manifest after an ordinary dose has been given, 
which is from one-half to one fluid ounce of the fluid extract 
repeated at intervals of from three to six hours, according to 
the case; again, ergot has a slight constipating effect audit 
