EVERSION OF THE UTERUS IN COWS. 
97 
the uterus on a clean bag or cloth. If the cow is down slip a 
clean bag underneath the cow for the uterus to rest on. I al¬ 
ways order a bucketful of right hot water, in which I put some 
permanganate of potash, with which I bathe the uterus, clean¬ 
ing it and somewhat reducing the swelling and size. Fleming 
advises cold water, even pieces of ice, to be rubbed over it; but 
hot water has always given me good results. Having thor¬ 
oughly cleansed the uterus we are ready for the next step. 
Reduction.—If the everted mass is small it is an easy matter 
to return it. But if, as is usually the case, the whole of the 
uterus is turned out and the vagina also prolapsed and has been 
so for some time and has become swollen and tumefied, it is cer¬ 
tainly no easy job. It is a work requiring lots of patience, con¬ 
siderable strength and a great deal of care lest we injure it by 
using too much force. Have your two men support the weight 
of the uterus on a cloth or bag while you start to work it in 
around the edges, a little at a time. Work in one side and hold 
that within the vulva while you work in a little on the other 
side, and, thus working from side to side, always being on your 
guard to hold what you have gained against the cows straining 
until you have it pretty well reduced, when you will feel it be¬ 
ginning to go easy. Now you can clap one hand on the re¬ 
maining portion and shove it in. Having returned the uterus, 
it is necessary to follow it up with one hand and smooth out all 
the folds and get the cornua and all the parts to their proper 
places as nearly as possible. In case the uterus has been out 
for some time and has become much swollen you will find this 
difficult or impossible, more especially so if the cow is down. 
But I believe that upon whether this is done thoroughly or not 
will in a great measure depend your success. You will find your 
work greatly increased by the animal’s straining and working 
against you. If you can devise means to overcome this strain- 
ing you will find your work reduced by at least half. Among 
the methods used to overcome this are to pinch up the skin of 
the back; farmers sometimes pinching up a fold of the skin and 
placing an awl through it, a girth around the body or around 
