SPECIAL REPORT ON DISEASES OF CATTLE
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416 XXXVIII. Tuberculosis of cow's udder 416 XXXIX. Actinomycosis
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ng, as well as in regurgitation for rumination or the chewing of the cud. The action of the first three stomachs is merely preparatory to digestion. Thus it would seem that as a resu
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of the surface, it is found to fluctuate or "give," then we may conclude that there is a collection of pus at that place. It is well not to open the abscess until the fluctuation is
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those who are competent. IMAGINARY DISEASES (HOLLOW HORN; LOSS OF CUD; WOLF IN THE TAIL). It would appear quite in place here, in connection with the diseases of the stomach and
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stic, are pain when getting up or lying down; grunting and pain upon sudden motion, especially downhill; coughing; pain on pressure over the second stomach, which lies immediately ab
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carefully laid open in the long direction, the adhesions of the protruding organs carefully separated from the umbilicus, and after the protruding parts have been returned into the
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horoughly chewed, and this constitutes what is known as "chewing the cud." From the second stomach the food passes into the third, and from the third into the fourth, or true, stomac
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Acetic acid is irritant to the gastrointestinal tract, and may cause sudden paralysis of the heart. _Treatment._--The action of the acid should be counteracted by the use of alkalie
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lysis and the animal dies in convulsions. LAUREL. The laurels, including the broad-leafed laurel, _Kalmia latifolia_, the narrow-leafed laurel, _Kalmia angustifolia_, the rhododen
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d is particularly noticeable while they are ruminating--"chewing the cud." It is not always associated with disease, but may be a symptom of some disease of the heart; in such cases
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s disinclined to move actively, the step is restricted and cautious, sudden motion causes grunting, the attitude is constrained, the feet are drawn somewhat together, the back is arc
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e of most 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 r
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the majority of cases it is attributable to some form of exposure, a sudden change from warm to cold surroundings, or exposure to cold storms. It may also result from inhaling irrita
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upplied by the cut nerve is paralyzed. The nervous system is often studied in two divisions--the cerebrospinal division and the sympathetic division. The cerebrospinal division con
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s, but there is paralysis in all parts posterior to the fracture, including the fore and hind legs. When the fracture is in the region of the loins the hind legs are paralyzed, but t
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nt passage of urine in driblets, its continuous escape in drops, the sudden arrest of the flow when in full stream, the rhythmic contraction of the muscles under the anus without any
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ed and inflamed kidneys it is present as a part of the inflammatory exudate. Apart from these, albumin in the urine represents in different cases a variety of diseased conditions of
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r, by the presentation of a female, the animal can be tempted to protrude the penis, so that it can be seized and extended, or when it can be manipulated forward out of the sheath, i
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cting stone, may slowly push it on into the bladder. Large doses of laudanum (2 ounces) or of solid extract of belladonna (2 drams) will not only soothe the pain but relax the spasm
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nclosing the tip of a conical mass of tissue from which the urine excludes. Fig. 2. Genital and urinary organs of the bull. (From Leisering, Mueller, and Ellenberger, Handbuch des V
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has a very small external opening, the mucous membrane of which is studded with sebaceous glands secreting a thick, unctuous matter of a strong, heavy odor. Behind this orifice is a
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ack toward the root of the tail. In the early stages of pregnancy the udder develops slowly, and toward its completion quite rapidly. For a long time there is merely a sense of great
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ult from poor or insufficient feed, from the excessive drain upon the udder while bearing the calf, from the use of feed deficient in certain essential elements, like the nitrogenous
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med condition of the membranes of the vagina results in a catarrhal exudate, and this discharge, which soils the external genitals and the tail, and the uneasiness and sometimes the
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was thoroughly closed in and the cow secluded from the constant stream of visitors and the incessant noise, when at once the pains became strong and effe
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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,
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for success, but if the calf is placed with its back down toward the udder, and if the head is bent down under the brim of the pelvis, the best position for the cow is on her back,
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ised a presentation with the back of the fetus turned down toward the udder, and the anterior extremities one with the back turned up toward the spine, the latter should be selected.
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w is to be sacrificed a blow on the head with an ax will produce quietude. Then the prompt cutting into the abdomen and womb and the extraction of the calf requires no skill. If, how
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of the lips of the vulva, a weak, rapid pulse, violent and perhaps loud beating of the heart (palpitations), sunken, staring eyes, coldness of the skin, ears, horns, and limbs, pers
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connections with the womb are severed and the remainder is expelled suddenly en masse. It is quite evident that neglected cases with putrid membranes are poor subjects for this meth
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examples of udder poisons are found in the first milk (colostrum), which is distinctly irritant and purgative, and in the to
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f the disease gangrene may ensue, a quarter or half or even the whole udder, losing its vitality, and sloughing off if the cow can bear up against the depressing influence. These gan
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anything which irritates them. The powerful sucking of the calf; the sudden chilling of the teat in winter after the calf has just let it go or after the completion of milking with a
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in as a swelling after the bowel has been returned; and when the protruding bowel has contracted permanent adhesion to the sac, it is impossible to return it fully without first seve
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reen all act in 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 ch
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D.] Some knowledge of the skeleton is advisable to facilitate the study of diseases of bones and the accidental injuries to which they are exposed. The skeleton of the adult ox is
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is one in which the bone is severed in two parts, transversely, longitudinally, or obliquely, without serious injury to the adjoining structures. COMPOUND FRACTURES.--Compound fract
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oken down and the bones are united (anchylosis). This process may include any or all of the three lower joints of the hock. The joint of motion which is situated on the lower end of
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t unknown. _Symptoms of articular rheumatism._--The symptoms appear suddenly and with varying degrees of severity. The animal presents a downcast appearance, with staring coat, horn
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far as possible to make the trachea tense and prominent; make a longitudinal incision about 2 to 2-1/2 inches long through the skin and deeper tissues and trachea at the most promine
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arly exercised or be allowed freedom so that it can exercise itself. Sudden changes of the temperature are dangerous. The animal should be fed moderately, but of a diet easily digest
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considerable rotary motion or twisting is possible. Their color is cloudy gray or grayish red, with white bands of connective tissue radiating from the center. Their consistence vari
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ts in the early and complete removal of the tumor, taking care to include a wide border of healthy tissue. This has been most successful in such superficial cancers as those of the e
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ns of the legs become irritated and chapped when cattle are fed in a muddy or wet yard in winter, or if they are compelled to wade through water in frosty weather. Another form of er
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the formation of circular patches on the skin, which soon becomes denuded of hair. The cuticular layer of the skin in slightly inflamed, and vesication with exudation occurs, follow
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sclerotic, or white of the eye, is bloodshot and the cornea may be cloudy. If the disease advances, keratitis results, with its train of unfavorable symptoms. _Treatment._--Careful
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a long time, but will eventually induce keratitis with inflammatory exudations. _Treatment._--The cornea may be punctured at its upper and outer margin, and the worm squeezed out wi
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hiefly responsible for the morbid changes. This definition might include diseases caused by certain animal parasites, such as trichinÊ, for example, which multiply in the digestive
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ected by means of chlorin gas liberated from the chlorid of lime by crude carbolic acid. This is accomplished by making a cone of 5 or 6 pounds of chlorid of lime, in the top of whic
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acute one, as is frequently seen in hot weather, the symptoms appear suddenly; the breathing becomes rapid and difficult, the animal grunts or moans with each expiration, the shoulde
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he same time similar changes may go on in the skin of the thighs, the udder, or the scrotum, or about the vagina, which lead to small sloughs. In severe cases, which are the most co
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loss in flesh and a lessening or cessation of the milk secretion. The udders often become inflamed and ruined by the formation of abscesses, and cows affected in this way are sometim
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that in the latter there is a rapid infection of the entire herd, including the adult cattle, as well as the infection of hogs and sheep. The characteristic lesion of foot-and-mouth
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pressure. This tumefaction consists essentially of a cerogelatinous exudate into the subcutaneous and intermuscular tissues. Bloody extravasations may take place in subcutaneous tis
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68 cows, 69, or 41 per cent, being tuberculous, and 2 having diseased udders. The result of testing the Queen's herd at Windsor was that 36 out of 40, or 90 per cent, were found tub
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under the jaw, and along the neck. Of late tubercular disease of the udder in cows (Pl. XXXVIII) has received considerable attention from sanitarians, owing to the infection of the
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of the cases tested. The relatively few failures in diagnoses are included among two classes of cattle. The first class contains those that are tuberculous, but which do not react ei
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unanimity of opinion on the part of all who are best calculated to judge that such an injurious effect does not occur. Even those who have been most pronounced in the claim tha
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xperimented with such virus. It was the experiments and comparative studies of Theobald Smith, however, which attracted special attention to the difference in virulence shown by tube
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ppearance of reddened, inflamed areas, principally upon the teats and udder, and at times on the abdominal skin or the skin of the inner surface of the thighs. In a few cases the ski
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t occurring in bovine affections. It is therefore of interest to conclude this article with a brief discussion of the disease in man and its relation to actinomycosis in cattle. In
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called anthrax peracutus or apoplectiform, when the animal dies very suddenly as if from apoplexy. Such cases usually occur in the beginning of an outbreak. The animal, without havin
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es will hardly hold, as it is found in all kinds of soil, in all altitudes, at all seasons of the year, and under various climatic conditions. It occurs in this country from the Atla
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etimes the mouth is kept open, permitting the tumefied tongue to protrude. One or more of the above symptoms direct the attention to the mouth as the seat of disease; or, having noti
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a uniform brownish tint, dissociated by gas and with a blood-tinged exudate. This gangrenous tissue, when present before death, can be removed without pain to the animal. The intesti
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thropoda and to the genus _Margaropus_ (or _Boophilus_), which is included in the order Acarina. Its life history is quite simple and easily traced from one generation to another. It
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clear solution, except for dirt. If the liquid persistently remains muddy or milky, it may be because the operation has been conducted so fast that much water has been boiled out an
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ed territory has in every instance been found a certain method of excluding Texas fever. The regulations governing the movement of cattle from below the quarantine line are made year
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laundry soap 1 pound. Water 4 gallons. Crude petroleum 1 gallon. Powdered naphthalin 4 ounces. Cut the soap into thin shavings and disso
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equal parts; (2) kerosene, 1/2 pint, mixed with lard, 1 pound; (3) crude petroleum; (4) any of the dips recommended for use in dipping, and diluted in the same proportions as for di
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d scattered their droppings. The worms in the stomach produce a multitude of eggs (fig. 14_c_) of microscopic size, which pass out of the body in the feces. In warm weather these egg
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as they are rather common among sheep in the Northwest. As already alluded to, these worms are the intermediate stage of a tapeworm found in dogs, and their life history and the mean
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earance of vesicles containing serous fluid in the mouth and upon the udder, teats, heels, and coronary bands of the affected animals. Drooling is profuse, and there is a peculiar sm
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f premises, 363 inflammation of the udder, description, prevention, and treatment, 237 ma
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, causes, symptoms, and treatment, 103 contagious, of the udder, description, prevention, and treatment, 237 ea
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, causes and treatment, 322 Pseudoplasm. _See_ Tumors. Psoroptic mange, description and treatment, 513 _Pucinia a
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nic, causes and treatment, 25 Udder-- congestion, description and treatment, 233 contagious inflammation af
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
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