SPECIAL REPORT ON DISEASES OF CATTLE
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ny ways. The channel and method of administration depend on whether a general or local effect is desired, the condition of the animal, and the nature of the medicine that is to be given.
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gestion and cause local injury to the digestive organs, but may cause general poisoning of a severe and fatal type. The following molds have been shown (Dammann) to be dangerous in respe
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robang to push down any soft material, such as oats or chaff, as this generally condenses and renders firmer the obstructing substance by pressing its particles or elements together, so t
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e._--From the fact that this disease is largely one of regions, it is generally believed that some condition of the soil and water and of the local vegetation is responsible for it. It is
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aults in feeding than as a disease in itself. It occurs in almost all general fevers unless the bowels are involved in local disease, in obstructions of all kinds, from feeding on dry, bu
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he contents of the sac can not be returned into the abdomen, and this generally arises from the fact that some part of the contents of the sac has grown to or become adherent to the edges
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ote action may be exerted by the same drug. Poisons which act locally generally either destroy by corrosion the tissues with which they come in contact or by inhalation set up acute infla
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of chronic gastrointestinal catarrh, with indigestion, diarrhea, and general weakness and loss of condition. _Treatment._--The antidote for arsenic is a solution of hydrated oxid of iro
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onite is given whether indicated or not. Fortunately the dose used is generally small, and for this reason the damage done is much less than it would otherwise be. Aconite is one of the m
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the growth of bacteria, and bacteria may produce poisons in feeds. In general it may be said that any feed that is moldy, musty, or putrid is possibly dangerous. Silage, properly cured, d
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d often irregular. Respiration is difficult and rapid. There is great general weakness and depression. Death comes suddenly. _Treatment._--Treatment consists in supporting the animal by
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t of the diseases under consideration in this chapter. _Attitude and general condition._--The feeling of pain in animals suffering from serious affections of the organs of respiration is
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mucous membrane of the bronchial tubes. When a primary disease, it is generally the result of what is commonly known as "catching cold." It may be secondary to or complicated with many of
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without much uncertainty. The first signs may be those of frenzy, but generally at the start the animal is dull and sleepy, with little or no inclination to move about; the head may be pr
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and up on account of the paralysis of the hind quarters. This form is generally attributed to feeding on feeds containing insufficient protein and ash. It is most likely to occur in cows
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passing of a catheter is an operation which demands special skill. _General symptoms of urinary disorders._--These are not so prominent in cattle as in horses, yet they are of a similar
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his advanced stage to relieve dropsy and give tone to the kidneys and general system (oil of turpentine, 2 teaspoonfuls; bicarbonate of soda, 1 teaspoonful, repeated twice a day). Pure wa
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ere are exceptions, they are so rare that they do not invalidate this general rule. It is true that stone in the kidney or bladder is often found in the summer or in animals feeding at th
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sting the special cause of each as found in the feed, water, soil, or general conditions of health. This classification affords no guide to their location or symptoms, as calculi of the s
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c., in Cornell University._ [Revised by Adolph Eichhorn, D. V. S.] GENERAL DISCUSSION. Diseases of the generative organs are practically confined to animals which are kept for reprodu
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and general obstacles to conception should be carefully investigated and removed. The vigorous health which comes from a
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will refuse the male persistently, but these in no way invalidate the general rule. The bull, no matter how vigorous or how ardent his sexual instinct, can not be made to pay any attenti
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med these findings. _Cause._--The _Bacterium abortus_ of Bang is now generally recognized as the causative agent of the disease of cattle. Formerly it was thought that abortion was due t
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w, however, is not substantiated by other investigators, it being now generally accepted that the disease is only rarely responsible for abortion, and further, that it exerts no apparent
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either in the flank or with a trocar and cannula through the anus. GENERAL DROPSY OF THE CALF. This occurs from watery blood or disease of some internal organ, like the liver or kidne
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re beset with similar drawbacks, and are to be dealt with on the same general principles. (Pl. XVII, fig. 4.) With the back turned to one side the body should be rotated until the back tu
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se. No part is wedged into the pelvic passages as a complication. The general principles are the same as in faulty presentation fore and hind, and no time should be lost in making the man
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eet engaged in pelvis. A very serious malpresentation, in which it is generally impossible to save the fetus if delivery is far advanced. The indications are to force back the hind feet.
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even gangrene are shown in the mass. At the moment of protrusion the general health is not altered, but soon the inflammation and fever with the violent and continued straining induce ex
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nt, simple or associated with putrefaction of its liquid contents and general poisoning, or it may extend so that the inflammation affects the lining membrane of the whole abdominal cavit
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s, dullness, drowsiness, suspension of rumination and appetite, and a general indifference to surrounding objects. Soon the cow lies down, or falls and is unable to rise, but for one or t
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tained with such offensive products should be thoroughly washed. The general treatment of contagious mammitis does not differ from that of the simple form, except that antiseptics should
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septic germ and is associated with fetid discharge from the navel and general putrid blood poisoning. In estimating the causes of the disease we must not omit debility of the calf when th
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t the presence of some of the septic bacteria, and the results on the general system are a high fever and softening of the liver and spleen and no tendency to abscesses of the internal or
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n this way. The same may come from disease in the cow's udder, or any general disease of the cow with attendant fever, and in all such cases the tendency is to rapid change and unwholesom
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appears desirable to describe some of the characteristics of forms in general and of a few classes into which they may be divided, leaving the special study of individual bones to the ill
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is one in which other structures surrounding the bones are injured. GENERAL SYMPTOMS OF FRACTURE.--When a fracture of one or more of the large bones of a limb occurs, symptoms are sure
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side will be less prominent than the other. Careful manipulation will generally move the parts so that crepitus may be recognized. If the fracture is through the posterior part of the bon
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ed three or four times at intervals of three weeks. The lameness will generally begin to disappear about the third or fourth month if the above-described treatment proves beneficial. Shou
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ack may be used. Various types of dehorning shears or clippers are in general use. One type of dehorner has a stationary knife edge with its cutting edge shaped like a very wide V, and op
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fully dealt with under another heading. We would add, however, that, generally speaking, the animal, after being castrated, should either be regularly exercised or be allowed freedom so
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ions of the tumor by a pathologist will be found most satisfactory. GENERAL TREATMENT OF TUMORS. For benign tumors treatment is required only when it damages the animal's value or when
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By M. R. TRUMBOWER, D. V. S. [Revised by John R. Mohler, V. M. D.] GENERAL DISCUSSION. The skin consists of two parts--a superficial layer, the epidermis, or cuticle, and the deep, or
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lved. We must endeavor to remove the cause by giving attention to the general health of the animal and to its environment. Feeding should be moderate in quantity and not too stimulating i
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e spontaneously or follow a scar after an injury. _Symptoms._--Kelis generally appears below the knee or hock, and may occur singly or in numbers. There are no constitutional symptoms. I
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d for a little distance forward on its outward surface, the cornea is generally said to be fitted into the sclerotic like a watch glass into its rim. The venous canal of Schlemm runs circ
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r of refraction is lost--the animal can not see. _Causes._--Cataract generally arises from a diminution (atrophy) or other change in the nutrition of the lens; it may occur as a result o
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RFY EARS. Cattle are subject to scurfy ears, which may be owing to a generally morbid condition of the skin, or may be confined to the ears alone. The affected animal shows an inclinatio
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he usual manner, by an inflammation of the lungs and pleurÊ, which is generally extensive, and which has a tendency to invade portions of these organs not primarily affected and to cause
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ay bloat and later be affected with a severe diarrhea. Such cases are generally fatal in 7 to 20 days. Very often the attack comes on slowly and the symptoms are much less clear. In the
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. It is then a difficult undertaking, simply because the contagion is generally widely disseminated before any measures are adopted, and because a great majority of cattle owners will nev
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ot or ground itch of cattle, the inflammation of the skin and toes is general and not in certain spots, as in foot-and-mouth disease. The mouth remains unaffected, and the presence of the
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gives off the odor of rancid butter. The internal hemorrhages are not general, although they may occur. A microscopic examination of the juices from the tumefaction will show the blackleg
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animals or to damage the surroundings. The cow remains quiet and the general muscular contraction gives her a rigid appearance. There is an absence of paralysis which marks the advanced
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imals together, drafts of air which cause colds and catarrhs, and, in general, everything which prevents the animals from developing and maintaining the highest condition of health. None
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nd when the disease had yet made but little progress. It is now quite generally employed. The tuberculin test came into existence through the most careful and thorough scientific experim
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reameries, with the offal of the abattoirs, with the household refuse generally, and behind tuberculous cattle. If tuberculosis is common among cattle, it is likely to be transmitted to h
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tely fatal in cattle after eight to nine weeks; 4 likewise produced a generalized tuberculosis, but which certainly had a more chronic course, while 1 of the cultures caused only an infil
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fresh condition under a microscope magnifying up to 250 diameters the general structure is made out without much difficulty. These grains consist of collections of minute, roundish masses
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se. Actinomycosis is not infrequent in cattle in the Southwest and is generally supposed to be the result of eating the prickly fruit of the cactus plant, causing wounds of the mucous mem
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ys already described. If the disease begins in the skin, it agrees in general with the subacute form in prolonged duration, and it may occasionally terminate in recovery if the swellings
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_Symptoms and lesions._--The symptoms of blackleg may be either of a general or of a local nature, though more frequently of the latter. The general symptoms are very much like those bel
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of the multiplication of the bacilli at the point of inoculation. The general affection is an intoxication, or poisoning, of the whole system produced by a soluble toxin elaborated by the
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death, can be removed without pain to the animal. The intestines are generally normal, but, together with the peritoneum, they may be inflamed, and the lungs are usually the seat of an e
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d show very plainly. (Pl. XLVI, figs. 6 and 7.) _Prevention._--It is generally accepted that if southern cattle are entirely free from that species of tick known as _Margaropus annulatus
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apsed to leave no doubt that eradication has been accomplished. As a general rule it has been found that if dipping is begun in March and systematically and thoroughly done, all cattle b
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thereby retard the final recovery. Medical treatment of the sick has generally been unsatisfactory, although in chronic cases and those occurring late in the fall beneficial results have
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t damage the horn, and congregate there only to rest. In view of the general practice of dehorning cattle, the name hornfly is less distinctive than it once was. Moreover, hornflies rest
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sed that the ox warbles of this country were all of the one kind. The general appearance, life history, and effects of the European species are much the same as those of the American form
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gh this parasite has been accused of producing serious effects, it is generally considered harmless. Several species of roundworms may occur in the fourth stomach. Two of these are of sp
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of the animal may be comparatively good. It is rare that one sees a generalized edema in slaughtered cattle as a result of fluke invasion, and even in the heaviest infections of you
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iption, symptoms, and treatment, 464-469 dropsy-- general, cause and treatment, 180 of abdomen, description and treatment,
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bones, description and treatment, 277 general symptoms and treatment, 272, 273 hip point, causes and treatment,
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id, description and treatment, 350 general treatment, 309 kidney, description,
and head twisted over each other as above. The limbs may be twisted by an
assistant when the head is manipulated by the operator, who drags on the
rope turned halfway round the limbs and assists in the rotation with his
other hand in the passages.
_Head and fore feet presented--Back turned down toward the udder._--This
position (Pl. XVI, fig. 6) is unnatural, and the parturition is difficult
for two reasons: First, the natural curvature of the fetus is opposed to
the natural curvature of the passages; and, second, the thickest part of
the body of the calf (the upper) is engaged in the narrowest part of the
passage of the pelvis (the lower). Yet unless the calf is especially large
and the pelvis of the cow narrow, parturition may usually be accomplished
in this way spontaneously or with very little assistance in the way of
traction on the limbs. If this can not be accomplished, two courses are
open: First, to rotate the calf as when the back is turned to one side;
second, to push back the presenting fore limbs and head and search for and
bring up the hind limbs, when the presentation will be a natural, posterior
one.
_Presentation of the hind feet with the back turned to one side or
downward._--These are the exact counterparts of the two conditions last
described, are beset with similar drawbacks, and are to be dealt with on
the same general principles. (Pl. XVII, fig. 4.) With the back turned to
one side the body should be rotated until the back turns toward the spine
of the dam, and with the back turned down it must be extracted in that
position (care being taken that the feet do not perforate the roof of the
vagina) or it must be rotated on its own axis until the back turns upward,
or the hind limbs must be pushed back and the fore limbs and head advanced,
when the presentation will be a natural anterior one.
_Impaction of twins in the passage._--It is very rare to have twins enter
the passages together so as to become firmly impacted. As a rule, each of
the twins has its own separate membranes, and as the water bags of one will
naturally first enter and be the first to burst, so the calf which occupied
those membranes will be the first to enter the passage and the other will
be thereby excluded. When the membranes of both have burst without either
calf having become engaged in the pelvis, it becomes possible for the fore
legs of one and the hind legs of the other to enter at one time, and if the
straining is very violent they may become firmly impacted. (Pl. XVIII, fig.
1.) The condition may be recognized by the fact that two of the presenting
feet have their fronts turned forward, while the two others have their
fronts turned backward. If the four feet belonged to one natural calf, they
would all have the same direction. By means of this difference in direction
we can easily select the two feet of one calf, place running nooses upon
them just above the hoofs or fetlocks, and have an assistant drag upon the
ropes while the feet of the other calf are pushed back. In selecting one of
the twins to come first several considerations should have weight. The one
that is most advanced in the passage is, of course, the first choice.
Though the fore feet of one are presented, yet if the head is not in place
the calf presenting by its hind feet is to be chosen as being less liable
to obstruct. Again, if for either calf one limb only is presented and the
other missing, the one presenting two feet should be selected to come
first. As soon as one calf has been advanced so as to occupy the pelvis the
other will be crowded back so that it will not seriously obstruct.
_Fore limbs curved at the knee--Limbs sprawling outward._--In this case not
only are the knees somewhat bent in a curve, but the calf has a position as
if it rested on its breastbone, while the legs were drawn apart and
directed to the right and left. The shoulder blades being drawn outward
from the chest and the elbows turned out, the muscles extending from the
trunk to the limb are unduly stretched and keep the knees bent and the feet
directed outward so as to press on the sides of the passages. They become
retarded in their progress as compared with the more rapidly advancing
head, and may bruise or even lacerate the walls of the vagina. It would
seem easy to rectify this by extending the legs, but the already tense and
overstretched muscles operate against extension in the present position,
and it is not easy to rotate the limbs so as to apply the shoulder flat
against the side of the chest. Under these circumstances a repeller (Pl.
XX, fig. 7) may be planted in the breast and the body of the calf pushed
backward into the womb, when the limbs will extend easily under traction
and the presentation becomes at once natural.
_Fore limbs curved at knee--Flexor tendons shortening._--In this case the
feet will press against the floor of the pelvis though the limb has no
outward direction, and the shoulder meanwhile presses against the roof of
the same passage. Unless the knees can be sufficiently straightened by
force a knife must be used to cut across the cords behind the knee, when
the limbs may be straightened sufficiently.
_Fore limbs flexed at knee--Flexor tendons unshortened._--This is mostly
seen in cases in which the body of the calf is in the proper position, its
back being turned up toward the back of the dam, and in cows with a
drooping abdomen. The feet have been supposed to catch beneath the brim of
the pelvis, and being retarded while the head advances into the passages,
they get bent at the knee and the nose and knees present. (Pl. XVI, fig.
2.) The calf, however, is not an inanimate body advanced by the mere
contraction of the womb, but it moves its limbs freely under the stimulus
of the unwonted compression, and in moving the feet as they are advanced
they slip down over the pelvic brim and finding no other firm support they
bend back until, under the impulsion, they can no longer straighten out
again. The knees, therefore, advance with the neck and head, but the feet
remain bent back. The result is that the upper part of the limb is also
flexed, and the shoulder blade and arm bone with their masses of investing
muscles are carried backward and applied on the side of the chest, greatly
increasing the bulk of this already bulky part. As the elbow is carried
back on the side of the chest, the forearm from elbow to knee further
increases the superadded masses of the shoulder and renders it difficult or
impossible to drag the mass through the passages. When the fore limbs are
fully extended, on the contrary, the shoulder blade is extended forward on
the smallest and narrowest part of the chest, the arm bone with its muscles
is in great part applied against the side of the back part of the neck, and
the forearm is continued forward by the side of the head so that the nose
lies between the knees. In this natural presentation the presenting body of
the calf forms a long wedge or cone, the increase of which is slow and
gradual until it reaches the middle of the chest.
The difficulty of extending the fore limbs will be in proportion to the
advance of the head through the pelvic cavity. In the early stage all that
is necessary may be to introduce the oiled hand, the left one for the right
leg or the right one for the left, and passing the hand from the knee on to
the foot to seize the foot in the palm, bend it forcibly on the fetlock,
and lift it up over the brim of the pelvis, the knee being, of course,
pressed upward against the spine. As soon as the foot has been raised above
the brim of the pelvis (into the passage) the limb can be straightened out
with the greatest ease.
When, however, the shoulders are already engaging in the pelvis the feet
can not thus be lifted up, and to gain room a repeller (Pl. XX, fig. 7)
must be used to push back the body of the calf. This is an instrument with
a long, straight stem, divided at the end into two short branches (2 to 3
inches long) united to the stem by hinges so that they can be brought into
a line with the stem for introduction into the womb and then spread to be
implanted in the breast. In the absence of a repeller a smooth, round, fork
handle may be used, the prongs having been removed from the other end. A
third device is to have an assistant strip his arm to the shoulder and,
standing back to back with the operator, to introduce his right arm into
the passages along with the operator's left (or vice versa) and push back
the body of the calf while the operator seeks to bring up a limb. The
repeller or staff having been planted safely in the breast of the calf, an
assistant pushes upon it in a direction either forward or slightly upward,
so as not only to follow the natural curve of the body and favor its
turning in the line of that curve within the womb, but also to carry the
shoulders upward toward the spine and obtain more room for bringing up the
missing feet. It is good policy, first, to put a halter (Pl. XXI, figs.
4_a_ and 4_b_) on the head or a noose (Pl. XXI, fig. 3) on the lower jaw
and a rope round each limb at the knee, so as to provide against the loss
of any of these parts when the body is pushed back into the womb. This
offers the further advantage that by dragging upon these ropes the body can
be advanced in the passage until the foot is reached, when the rope must be
slackened and the repeller used to get room for bringing up the foot. If
the cow is lying, the operator should first secure the foot on the upper
side and then, if necessary, turn the cow on its opposite side so as to
bring up the other.
In using the instruments some precautions are demanded. They must be
invariably warmed before they are introduced, and they should be smeared
with lard or oil to make them pass easily and without friction. The
assistant who is pushing on the instrument must be warned to stop if at any
time resistance gives way. This may mean the turning of the fetus, in which
case the object of repulsion has been accomplished, but much more probably
it implies the displacement of the instrument from the body of the fetus,
and unguarded pressure may drive it through the walls of the womb.
When the calf enters the passage with its back turned down toward the belly
and udder, the bending back of the fore limbs is rare, probably because the
feet can find a straighter and more nearly uniform surface of resistance in
the upper wall of the womb and the backbone, and do not slide over a crest
into an open cavity, as they do over the brim of the pelvis. The weight of
the calf, too, gravitating downward, leaves more room for the straightening
of the bent limbs, so that the desired relief is much more easily secured.
The manipulation is the same in principle, only one must add the precaution
of a steady traction on the feet in extraction, lest, owing to the adverse
curvature of the fetus, the hoofs are suddenly forced through the roof of
the vagina, and, perhaps, the rectum as well, during a specially powerful
labor pain.
When the back of the calf is turned to the right side or the left the main
difference is that in addition to straightening the limbs the fetus must be
rotated to turn its back upward before extraction is attempted. In this
case, too, it may be difficult to bring up and straighten the lower of the
two limbs until the body has been rotated into its proper position. Cord
the upper straightened limb and head, then rotate the body and search for
the second missing limb.
_Fore limbs bent back from the shoulders._--This is an exaggeration of the
condition just named, and is much more difficult to remedy, owing to the
distance and inaccessibility of the missing limb. It usually happens with
the proper position of the body, the back of the calf being turned toward
the back of the mother. The head presents in the passage and may even
protrude from the vulva during an active labor pain, but it starts back
like a spring when the straining ceases. Examination with the oiled hands
in the intervals between the pains fails to detect the missing limbs. (Pl.
XVI, fig. 1.) If, however, the hand can be introduced during a pain it may
be possible to reach the elbow or upper part of the forearm. In the absence
of a pain a halter or noose on the head may be used to advance the whole
body until the forearm can be seized just below the elbow. This being
firmly held and the head or body pushed back into the womb, room may be
obtained for bringing up the knee. The forearm is used as a lever, its
upper part being strongly forced back while its lower part is pressed
forward. If a pain supervenes the hold must be retained, and whatever gain
has been made must be held if possible. Then during the next pain, by
pushing back the body and continuing to operate the forearm as a lever, a
still further advance may be made. As the knee is brought up in this way,
the hand is slid down from the elbow toward the knee, which is finally
brought up over the brim of the pelvis and into the passage. It is now
corded at the knee, and the subsequent procedure is as described in the
last article. In a large, roomy cow with a small calf the latter may pass
with one or both forelegs bent back, but this is a very exceptional case,
and, as early assistance is the most successful, there should never be
delay in hope of such a result.
_One fore limb crossed over the back of the neck._--This is a rare obstacle
to calving, but one that not altogether unknown. The hand introduced into
the passage feels the head and one forefoot, and farther back on the same
side of the other foot, from which the womb can be traced obliquely across
the back of the neck. (Pl. XVI, fig. 3.) This foot, projecting
transversely, is liable to bruise or tear the vagina. If still deeply
engaged in the vagina, it may be seized and pushed across to the opposite
side of the neck, when the presentation will be natural.
_Head bent down beneath the neck._--In this case, with drooping belly and
womb allowing the brim of the pelvis to form a ridge, the advancing calf,
having unduly depressed its nose, strikes it on the brim of the pelvis, and
the neck advancing, the head is bent back and the poll and ears either
enter the pelvis or strike against its brim. The two forefeet present, but
they make no progress, and the oiled hand introduced can detect no head
until the poll is felt at the entrance of the pelvis, between the forearms.
The two forefeet must be fixed with running nooses and dragged on
moderately while the oiled hand seeks to bring up the head. The hand is
slid down over the forehead and brim of the pelvis until the nose is
reached, when it is passed into the mouth, the muzzle resting in the palm
of the hand. The legs are now pushed upon, and in the space thus gained the
muzzle is drawn up so as to enter it into the pelvis. In doing this the
operator must carefully see that the mouth does not drop open so that the
sharp, front teeth cut through the floor of the womb. Should this danger
threaten, the hand should be made to cover the lower jaw as well. The
lessened security of the hold is more than compensated by the safety of the
procedure. With the nose in the pelvis, it has only to be drawn forward and
the parturition is natural.
_Head bent down beneath the breast._--This is an exaggerated condition of
that last named. The head, arrested by the brim of the pelvis and already
bent back on the neck, is pressed farther with each successive throe until
it has passed between the forelegs and lodges beneath the breast bone. (Pl.
XVI, fig. 4.) On examination, the narrow upper border of the neck is felt
between the forearms, but as a rule the head is out of reach below. Keeping
the hand on the neck and dragging on the feet by the aid of ropes, the hand
may come to touch and seize the ear, or, still better, one or two fingers
may be inserted into the orbit of the eye.
Then in pushing back upon the limbs, with or without the aid of a repeller
applied against the shoulder, space may be obtained to draw the head into a
vertical position, and even to slip the hand down so as to seize the nose.
Should it prove impossible to draw the head up with the unassisted fingers,
a blunt hook (Pl. XXI, fig. 6) may be inserted into the orbit, on which an
assistant may drag while another pushes upon the limbs or repeller.
Meanwhile the operator may secure an opportunity of reaching and seizing
the nose or of passing a blunt hook into the angle of the mouth. Success
will be better assured if two hooks (Pl. XXI, fig. 7) are inserted in the
two orbits, so as to draw up the head more evenly. In other cases a noose
may be placed on the upper jaw, or even around both jaws, and traction made
upon this and on the hooks in the orbits while the legs are pushed back,
and while the operator pushes back on the poll or forehead. In still more
difficult cases, in which even the orbits can not be reached, a sharp hook
on the end of a straight iron rod (Pl. XX, fig. 2) may be inserted over the
lower jaw as far forward as it can be reached, and by dragging upon this
while the body is pushed back the head will be brought up sufficiently to
allow the operator to reach the orbit or nose. If even the jaw can not be
reached, the hook may be inserted in the neck as near to the head as
possible and traction employed so as to bring the head within reach.
In all such cases the cow's head should be turned downhill, and in case of
special difficulty she should be turned on her back and held there until
the head is secured. In old-standing cases, with the womb closely clasping
the body of the calf, relaxation may be sought by the use of chloroform or
a full dose of chloral hydrate--2 ounces; the free injection of warm water
into the womb will also be useful.
_Head turned back on the shoulder._--With a natural, anterior presentation
this may happen because of the imperfect dilation of the mouth of the womb.
Under the throes of the mother the forefeet pass through the narrow opening
into the vagina, while the nose, striking against it and unable to enter,
is pressed backward into the womb and turns aside on the right or left
shoulder. The broad muzzle of the calf forms an especial obstacle to
entrance and favors this deviation of the head. The worst form of this
deviation is the old-standing one with shortening of the muscles of the
neck on that side, and oftentimes distortion of the face and neck bones, as
noticed under "Monstrosities" (p. 182).
When the head is bent on the shoulder the feet appear in the natural way,
but no progress is made, and examination reveals the absence of the nose
from between the knees, and farther back, from above and between the
elbows, a smooth rounded mass is felt extending to the right or left, which
further examination will identify with the neck. Following the upper border
of this the hand reaches the crown of the head with the ears, and still
further the eyes, or even, in a small calf, the nose.
As the bulky head of the calf can not be extracted along with the
shoulders, it becomes necessary to push the body of the fetus back and
straighten out the head and neck. The cow should be laid with her head
downhill and with that side up toward which the head is turned. If the
throes are very violent, or the womb strongly contracted on the calf, it
may be best to seek relaxation by giving chloroform, or 2 ounces of
laudanum, or 2 ounces of chloral hydrate. If the calf or the passages are
dry, sweet oil may be injected, or the whole may be liberally smeared with
fresh lard. In the absence of these, warm water rendered slightly slippery
by Castile soap may be injected into the womb in quantity. Ropes with
running nooses are placed on the presenting feet and the oiled hand
introduced to find the head. If, now, the fingers can be passed inside the
lower jawbone, and drag the head upward and toward the passage, it unwinds
the spiral turn given to the neck in bending back, and greatly improves the
SOURCES & PROVENANCE
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