CONTRACTION OF ORIFICIUM UTERI EXTERNUM. 
11 
the uterus perfectly closed. On inquiry the owner said she w r as in 
that condition about 24 hours. The cow was restless, continu¬ 
ally twitching with her tail, and sometimes had strong labors 
to discharge the young, but all in vain. I applied extr. bella¬ 
donna with my hand at the closed mouth of the womb, and after 
about one hour I had the pleasure of delivering the cow of a 
healthy heifer calf. The placenta soon followed and both cow and 
calf are doing well. 
About one month ago I was called to the same cow. The 
owner said he tried his best to help the cow, but could do nothing 
(by the way the man has a repute of being “ a smart man 
amongst cows.”) This time he had waited longer before he sent 
for me (48 hours) and I found the patient in a worse condition 
than at the former time. The part of the womb mentioned above 
had this time turned to cartilage and had a low temperature. I 
used the bellad. again, and as the cow pressed but seldom and not 
very violent upon the foetus I ordered her to be kept quiet. This 
was in the morning. I went away to return in the afternoon. At 
my afternoon visit I was told the cow had been very sick after I 
had left. I found the part I had applied the belladonna to, to be of 
a very high temperature and could only get my index linger in 
the uterus ; symptoms in general very bad. I made a decoction of 
pulv. sem. lini. with bellad. to be used during the night as injec¬ 
tion per vulva. I left and promised to return in the morning. 
7 o’clock a. m. cow was standing and eating. This time I found 
by introducing my hand that I was able to get it in the uterus; the 
cow began to press severely on the foetus, and in about 30 minutes 
the calf (bull) was born; both doing well. After the cow was dry I 
advised to have her fattened and slaughtered. I warn everyone, 
especially the young practitioner, not to be too quick with the 
knife. I have paid dearly for it, and I think the bellad. has 
almost done wonders in the above cases; still the above treatment 
is nothing new. 
