304 
W. L. WILLIAMS. 
been unavoidably caused, or, escaping this danger, the animal 
most likely succumbs to exhaustion or metro-peritonitis, due 
to the protracted labor and manipulation. 
The indications are, to place the animal on her back, then 
secure any extremities which can be reached and bring them 
into the passages. 
If the hind legs are secured, it may be found impossible to 
get the feet into the passage, in which case the legs should be 
amputated at the lower part of the hock joint, leaving the os 
calcis uninjured. 
If all the anterior extremities can be secured and brought 
into vagina, and hind legs are not in the way, embryotomy 
will probably prove unnecessary. If two fore legs only, or 
one leg and head can be brought into passage, remove one leg 
and shoulder subcutaneously, take out one or two of the ex¬ 
posed ribs, eviscerate and then try to secure missing member. 
If the head cannot be reached after the removal of shoulder 
and evisceration, the foetus can be withdrawn, with head and 
neck doubled back. 
If both hind and fore legs can be brought into vagina, 
amputate the fore ones, and by traction on hind ones, convert 
it into 'a posterior presentation. 
In removing the foetus, after securing the extremities and 
making the above suggested preparations, great care and 
judgment should be used in the amount and direction of trac¬ 
tion employed, and the mare should, I think, be kept upon her 
back during this part of the work, so as to throw the foetus 
and uterus as nearly as may be, in a line with the vagina, thus 
facilitating the attainment of a favorable position by the foetus 
and lessening the danger of a fatal rupture by decreasing the 
strain on the'inferior vaginal and superior uterine walls, which 
lie in contact; the foetus, from its position, having first to pass 
forwards before it can enter the vaginal canal. If due care 
is not used at this point, it can readily be seen that if the body 
of the foetus still rests beneath the vagina, and the members of 
one extremity are in the passage, severe and hurried traction 
can scarcely fail to lacerate or rupture the intervening infe¬ 
rior vaginal and superior uterine walls. The amount of trac- 
