ket gradually tightened around
the belly. This failing, the mare may be placed on her side or back and
gravitation brought to the aid of manipulation in effecting the return.
Even after the hernia has been reduced the relaxed state of the womb and
abdominal walls may serve to hinder parturition, in which case the oiled
hand must be introduced through the vagina, the fetus brought into
position, and traction coincident with the labor pains employed to
produce delivery.

TWISTING OF THE NECK OF THE WOMB.--This condition is very uncommon in
the mare, though occasionally seen in the cow, owing to the greater
laxity of the broad ligaments of the womb in that animal. It consists in
a revolution of the womb on its own axis, so that its right or left side
will be turned upward (quarter revolution), or the lower surface may be
turned upward and the upper surface downward (half revolution). The
effect is to throw the narrow neck of the womb into a series of spiral
folds, turning in the direction in which the womb has revolved, closing
the neck and rendering distention and dilatation impossible.

The period and pains of parturition arrive, but in spite of continued
efforts no progress is made, neither water bags nor liquids appearing.
The oiled hand introduced into the closed neck of the womb will readily
detect the spiral direction of the folds on its inner surface.

The method of relief which I have successfully adopted in the cow may be
equally effective in the mare. The dam is placed (with her head uphill)
on her right side if the upper folds of the spiral turn toward the
right, and on her left side if they turn toward the left, and the oiled
hand is introduced through the neck of the womb and a limb or other part
of the body of the fetus is seized and pressed against the wall of the
womb, while two or three assistants turn the animal over on her back
toward the other side. The object is to keep the womb stationary while
the animal is rolling. If success attends the effort, the constriction
around the arm is suddenly relaxed, the spiral folds are effaced, and
the water bags and fetus press forward into the passage. If the first
attempt does not succeed, it may be repeated again and again until
success crowns the effort. Among my occasional causes of failure have
been the prior death and decomposition of the fetus, with the
extrication of gas and overdistention of the womb, and the supervention
of inflammation and inflammator