Complete Treatise on the mare and foal at the time of delivery, with illustrations. / Also on cows and calves, with stallion and mare, when diseased by Gonorrhea (clap) or Pox, also Diarrhea and Costiveness in Colts.

by Conrad Mitchell

PLATE III.

The above Engraving represents a false presentation. The two fore feet are presented, and the head remains behind in the right flank of the mare. The operator will be able to tell whether they are the front or hind feet, by examining the knee joints. Now, a bowl containing two or three quarts of very warm water, with a large tablespoonful of very fine lard or linseed oil on the surface of the water, should be at hand. Under no circumstances should a hand or arm be introduced to the mare, unless first thoroughly warmed and greased, otherwise they are rank poison to the mare. After the arm is prepared, the fingers and thumb should be brought to a point, and should be introduced, following the channel, until the neck of the foal is reached at Fig. 1, when the full right hand should grasp the neck, the left hand being supported against the mare, when the operator should pull with all his strength, in order to draw the neck further up, when the hand should pass down along the neck, still drawing as it passes along, until reaching Fig. 2, the ear, when he can make good progress, until he can insert the middle finger in the eye, at which point he is able to raise the muzzle, Fig. 3, so far, that he may close his hand over it, and in a minute, all will be right in the operation. But let no one suppose, that this is accomplished in ten or fifteen minutes. Sometimes it may, but in many instances, I have labored for an hour, and even two and a half hours. In some cases, the severe exertion, and the heat of the mare, caused my arterial circulation to force so powerfully in my arm, that I was often afraid my veins would burst; in this case I would withdraw my arm for a minute or two, and then go to work again. In my entire practice, I have failed but in three cases, that of two mares and one cow, to accomplish my object. I was often called, where two, three, and even four men had been summoned before me, owing to the distance I lived away, and succeeded in every instance where others failed. I resolved not to fail in any case, but this determination proved disastrous to myself, inasmuch, as I became subject to palpitation of the heart, so that I could not follow my business for more than twelve years.

PLATE IV.

Of the cases represented in [Plate III], I had a large number; of such as are presented in [Plate IV], only a few, of which I will describe only one. On the 13th of June, 1854, I was called to the premises of Mr. George Braucher, in Hartley township, Union county.

In this case the hand and arm must be prepared, as already described, and inserted to the elbow, Fig. 1. A great amount of force is required to raise the leg, until the knee joint is brought up. The left hand should then be warmed and greased by an assistant, and introduced, placing it on the knee-joint; the right hand should then be passed down, grasp the foot, and turn it backwards, when the left hand should press inward with great force, and with the right hand bring up the foot, keeping it turned backwards. When the foot is brought up, a rope should be attached to the lower jaw of the foal, when an assistant should take hold of the rope and pull in a slightly downward direction; in this way the foal will be delivered with the greatest ease. Sometimes one shoulder will present itself, and the other will incline a little to the rear. Under such circumstances, too much force should not be employed; the foal should be turned sometimes from right to left, and then again from left to right, frequently introducing the hand, and moving it around the foal. In all cases the membrane or skin should be kept in its proper position around the foal, as this will greatly assist the work, and make it one of comparative ease.

In the above case, the foal presented itself in the afternoon of the 12th, and all the knowing men of the neighborhood were summoned, and all of them labored until night, when they were obliged to give it up and pronounce it a failure.—The next morning a messenger was sent for me. I arrived at the spot at half past ten o’clock, in the morning, and at twelve o’clock noon, I had the object accomplished, and we sat down to a hearty dinner. In December 1868, the mare was still alive.