422 
H. A. SPENCER. 
times. One case, reported by Rigby, was first operated on in 
June, 1826, in her twenty-ninth year; again in January, 1831 ; 
and yet in. June, 1836, Prof. W. Gibson, of Philadelphia, 
operated twice on the same lady; the first time with a daugh¬ 
ter, whom they named Mary Caesarean,, and the second time 
a son, who was called Caesar Augustus. These children the 
professor took great pride in exhibiting to his classes at the 
University of Pennsylvania. On May 12th of this year. I was 
consulted by Mr. Charles Hughes, of Mayfield, Santa Clara 
County, with reference to a skye terrier bitch that he brought 
eighteen miles, ensconced in a basket of feather pillows. She 
was eight years old, very fat, and heavy in pup; in fact, had 
passed term, and been in labor thirty-six hours, but nature 
had failed to relieve her, though if we except the obesity 
there was no apparent reason therefor. Her throes were 
very infrequent and lacked energy; repeated doses of ergot 
failed to augment or accelerate them. I then made a fruit¬ 
less endeavor by manual manipulation to make a delivery, 
but at the expiration of an hour resorted to instruments. Not 
being able to procure a pair of bitch forceps, I had recourse 
to a pair of large splinter forceps, and delivered her 01 a live 
puppy, breach presentation. After waiting without avail for 
some time I attempted the second, but succeeded only after 
mutilating it, until we were obliged to destroy it; a third one 
resisted all my efforts, so with the owner’s consent I sum¬ 
moned Dr. Roland A. Lord to my assistance, who with per¬ 
sistency and rare intelligence labored for above an hour, 
when we suspended operations on account of inability to ac¬ 
complish anything, and the patient’s exhaustion. After con¬ 
sultation, informed Mr. Hughes that we could do nothing 
more in that direction, and could suggest nothing but the 
caesarean section, advising him of the fatal probabilities at¬ 
tending the operation. But he apprised us of his knowledge 
of the matter, saying he had recently had some experience in 
a case of ovariotomy in the human family, and had also wit¬ 
nessed the operation of hysterotomy in the bitch at Alfort 
Veterinary College, and while fully alive to the danger and 
magnitude of it, requested that we go ahead, as he was very 
