PARTURITION. On the farm, among animals which have good shelter and plenty of food, but little difficulty is experienced in bring ing forth the young. The exceptions are gener ally when mechanical difficulty is present, as in rigidity of the womb, or else contracted pelvis bones. Other difficulties are the unnatural pre sentation or position of the young. These are, a reverse presentation, or the tail first; the fore feet protruding without the head; the head protruding without the fore feet, oi with only one; the fore feet appearing, with the head turned under the brisket ; with the belly upward, the head turned over the shoulder, the fore legs first; or, with the fore legs folded against the back of the dam, the head, side, or hind leg pre senting first. All violence should be carefully avoided until it hecomes absolutely necessary, a case that seldom happens. The first thing to be done is.to put the fcetus in proper position, with the fore feet first, the head betvveen the feet, and the back upwards. This may generally be accomplished by having the cow standing with her hind feet considerably higher than the fore feet. Then a small hand and arm, well oiled to the elbow, introduced into ,the womh, the difficulty may generally be obviated. The calf being in position, and delivery difficult, intro duce both hands, the palms together, to grasp with the tips of the fingers the head behind the ears. When the labor pain comes on, press strongly, at the same time pulling forward, and the fcetus generally follows one or more attempts. If there is rigidity of the mouth of the womb, a knife should be introduced (narrow and blunt at the point), held in the hollovv of the hand. Fix the mouth of the womb with the fore finger, slip the blade of the knife along the fingers, until the mouth of the womb is reached, and inside, about a quarter of an inch, make a slight cut or nick on four sides of the neck thereof. This will allow expansion, and gene rally allow delivery. Except in very urgent cases, a little extract of belladonna, rubbed about and inside the neck of the womb will sufficiently relax. In very rare instances with the cow, the
neck of the womb may have become twisted. This being the case, to be suspected in long con tinued labor without presentation of the bag enclosing the water, the hand should be carried well into the orifice, so as to push the bag in the opposite direction to the twist, while assistants roll the cow quickly over on the other side. Re peat this until the presentation of the womb is natural. In rare cases, the orifice is so small, or the calf so large that considerable violence must be used even with a natural presentation. In this case a hook is to be inserted in the socket of the eye of the calf and a steady pull maintained, in connec tion with the labor pains, and finally in still more extreme cases, the calf may have to be dissected piecemeal within the walls of the womb; this any careful, person with a firnkhand may accom plish, if he has previously studied the anatomy of the animal. Generally all that will be neces sary will be to dislocate the shoulders and perhaps the head. In all such cases, however, the dam should he fattened, or if a mare prevented from further breeding. In case of flooding, bleeding from the womb, if the flow is free a sponge dipped in hot vinegar and water, or hot water alone, or very cold water, should be introduced and wrung out in the womb. Give also one or two ounces, as the case may be, of ergot of rye at once. If the bleeding is internal, shovvn by paleness of the nose, weak pulse, great debility and general coldness of the skin, introduce the hand, clean avvay the clots of blood from the womb and especially any adherent portions of the afterbirth, and proceed as before directed. If these do not act promptly introduce a piece of ice the size of a small hen's egg into the womb, or dissolve a teaspoonful of powdered alum in a teaspoonful of milk, and squeeze a tablespoon ful into the womb. To the mare or cow may also be given two tablespoonfuls every two hours in a quart of water, of the following: three ounces compound tincture of cinnamon, and five ounces of dilute sulphuric acid.