REPORTS OF CASES. 
47 
went out and commenced feeding as though nothing had hap¬ 
pened. Not a cough, nor any symptoms of the distressed 
breathing. 
Her owner, Mr. Palmer, writes me, March 3, 1898 : “ The 
cow is doing as well, is in as good health, and breathes as well 
as any in the barn. She dropped a nice heifer calf in Septem¬ 
ber, since the operation, which I am raising.” 
THE FATAEITY OF THE CESAREAN OPERATION.* 
By A. G. Alverson, D. V. S. 
Having had at several times in practice a case of oc¬ 
clusion of the uterus by the formation of a fibrinous ring at 
the ostium internum, and having in each case tried by scarifi¬ 
cation and pressure to dilate such parts and put them in as 
near a natural shape as possible for a normal delivery, and 
at each time having been unsuccessful, I had determined that 
when next a like case came up, would try Caesarean section. 
This cow had been in trouble all the latter part of the 
night, at least. The foetus being pushed against the closed and 
indurated os, and the expulsive effort having been great, the 
vagina had been everted almost completely. The cow had been 
confined in a lot with the family porker, and the hog had taken 
one chew from the wall of the everted organ. On my arrival 
blood was still running from this abrasion, and at each succes¬ 
sive expulsive effort the flow of blood would be augmented. 
The loss of blood had been considerable, but the cow still 
seemed to be strong. The owner confined the cow for opera¬ 
tion by tying with a good strong head halter to the manger, 
and drawing the hind feet as far back as possible, to the oppo¬ 
site side, with the cow flat on her left side. I clipped the hair 
quickly from the seat of operation, carefully cleaned and dis¬ 
infected it. I made an incision some sixteen or eighteen inches 
long through the skin and subjacent tissue, partially cut but 
largely separated with my fingers through the muscles, cut 
through the wall of the uterus, and removed without farther 
difficulty a dead calf. .1 then cleansed my hands by a dash in 
carbolized water and started to remove the afterbirth. Being so 
absorbed in my work, I had taken very little notice of the cow 
since starting with the operation. The placenta did not loosen 
very easily, and before half removed all motion of the patient 
ceased, and, pausing to look, found her dead also. 
* Read before the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association, at Bloomington, 
Feb. 16, 1898. 
