530 
REPORT OE CASE. 
hours. On ray arrival I found the cow lying on her right side 
with every indication of extreme prostration, making at irregular 
intervals feeble efforts to expel a foetus. A vaginal examination 
disclosed a malposition of the foetus, the buttock and tail pre¬ 
senting. To remedy this dystocia I endeavored to change the 
presentation by forcibly pushing the foetus back into the uterine 
cavity, and then effect a version. This procedure was an utter 
impossibility, by reason of the great weight of the calf and the 
resistance experienced by the uterine contractions of the cow. 
After failing with this mode of management and discovering no 
signs of foetal life, I at once proceeded with a view of diminish¬ 
ing the contour of the buttock of the calf by removing a portion 
of its pelvis. I made a large incision from the anus through the 
perineum of the calf, so as to permit my hand to enter with a 
saw, with which I severed the symphysis pubis. I then applied 
the saw to the anterior border of the pubis, as close to the aceta¬ 
bulum as possible, and cut it through to the obturator foramen; 
at the same time continuing the separation until the ischium was 
divided. I then adjusted the saw to the opposite side of the 
pelvis and severed it in a like manner. These cartilaginous seg¬ 
ments were then removed with a long bistourie, which, in this 
case, was far better than an embryotomy knife, owing to the fact 
that the buttock of the calf had already been lodged close to the 
vulva of the cow. By this means the dissection could be carried 
out externally, after applying the instrument to the desired spot. 
Some of the sawing was also accomplished externally by an as¬ 
sistant, whilst my hand was resting on the back of the saw; 
thereby guiding the instrument until the separation was completed. 
After removing the severed portions of cartilage there was no 
more resistance perceived. The pelvic dimensions of the calf 
were then decidedly diminished and a free access into its body 
through the aperture made by enlarging the anus was established, 
enabling me to remove all the internal organs within reach. I 
next attached a hook to each side of the remnant pelvic frame, 
and with the additional tail-hold the foetus was extracted without 
any impediment or violent traction. Besides decreasing the con¬ 
tour of the buttock by this operation, we removed the wedging 
