COMPLETE PROLAPSUS UTERI. 
99 
vagina, against the cervix uteri, taking the place of my hand, and 
the other extremity (the handle proper) was left protruding out¬ 
side of the vulva, with its aperture (measuring 5 by 8 cm.) well 
exposed. Through this opening I passed a small board 40 cm. 
long and 8 cm. wide, the centre of it being secured to this ex¬ 
tremity of the tool (if it can be so termed) with twine. The 
distal ends of this board extended from one ischial tuberosity to 
the other, respectively. Each was furnished with a small rope, 
which, after being drawn forward along the lateral walls of the 
thorax of the cow, was tied to the sides of a collar that had been 
placed around her neck for this purpose. By this method of at¬ 
tachment the pessary constantly retained its proper position. 
Kestlessness or violent stiaining produced no distorting effect upon 
it. Another excellent property the pessary exemplified in this 
case is, that by it acting as a foreign body within the vagina and in 
the vicinity of the cervix uteri it gave rise to uterine contractions, 
thereby arresting the post partum hemorrhage, which was abso¬ 
lutely essential, as the cow had lost a great quantity of blood, 
causing her to collapse into a semi-comatose condition, from which 
she was afterwards lifted through the agency of alcoholic stimu¬ 
lants and eggs, and by the 15th inst. was apparently convalescent, 
when the pessary was removed. I must apologize for adopting 
so crude a method as this for retaining the uterus in position. If 
correct information as to the character of the case had been 
communicated to me by the messenger, I would have been pro¬ 
vided with a pessary more elegant, but cannot say better for the 
occasion. Besides, the case being an urgent one, would not per¬ 
mit any delay by sending for it, and I was therefore forced to re¬ 
sort to this plebian method. I must, however, acknowledge that 
this ordinary tool is better adapted against inversion of the uterus 
than the instrument I had made to order, which is a pad pessary 
with a loop at its outer end, as described by Franck in his Ger¬ 
man veterinary obstetrical work; also by Fleming in his work 
on veterinary obstetrics, who in addition speaks of the transverse 
piece of wood, with an eyelet at each end and made to move up 
and down the handle by means of a screw, being sometimes sub¬ 
stituted for the loop of cord. In my opinion it is at all times 
