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.

INTRODUCTION.

Of all the beasts of the field, which we are told, the Lord formed out of the earth, and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them, none has more engaged the attention of the historian and the philosopher—none has figured more in poetry, in war and in love, than the horse.

None of the writing, to which we could point the reader, contains more frequent mention, or more glowing descriptions of the power and beauty of the horse, than the great Book of Books.

The Bible teaches us, that from whatever land this animal may have been originally brought into Egypt, that country had already become a great horse market, even before horses were known in Arabia, the country with which we are apt to associate all that is most interesting of this noble beast. Geological researches, however, have discovered fossil remains of the horse in almost ever part of the world—from the tropical plains of India, to the frozen regions of Siberia—from the northern extremities of the new world, to the southern point of America. But among the Hebrews, horses were rare previous to the days of Solomon, who had horses brought out of Egypt, after his marriage with the daughter of Pharaoh, and so rapidly did he multiply them by purchase and by breeding, that those kept for his own use required, as it is written, “four thousand stables, and forty thousand stalls.” Hence, when honored by a visit from the beautiful queen of Sheba, bringing with her, camels bearing spices, and very much gold and precious stones, it was doubtless in the contemplation of his magnificent stud of horses and chariots, kept for the amusement of his wives and concubines, as well as for his other vast displays of power and magnificence, that her majesty exclaimed, in the fulness of her admiration: “Howbeit, I believed not the words, until I came and mine eyes had seen it, and behold the half was not told unto me.”

Veterinary science has also made great progress from that time down to the present, and in particular, in the last half century, the structure of the horse—injuries and diseases to which he is subject, and the treatment of these, have been investigated, in this country and abroad, with much diligence and success, both in colleges and in societies devoted to the cultivation of veterinary knowledge, and by practitioners, whose education and experience render their observations worthy of great respect; but notwithstanding all this, there has always been, to the present time, one point overlooked, which is of greater importance, than any one that has ever been investigated. I refer here to a complete treatise on the Mare and Foal at the time of delivery. This has long been felt as a real want. Not a single engraving, illustrating this subject has ever been handed to the public, and very little has been written on the treatment of the mare and the foal at the time of delivery. When the best authors come to this point, they say, “call in a veterinary Surgeon.” But, I would ask, where is the veterinary Surgeon to obtain his information? And yet, not only the surgeon, but every farmer and breeder should possess a full knowledge of it.

The man that first enters the stable should be able to administer to the wants of the mare and the foal. There is no time to be lost—no time now to obtain information, or to proceed four or five miles for a surgeon. If all is right, in five minutes all will be well, but if a false position is presented, the first person that approaches the animal should be able to administer to the wants of the mare and foal. If not, there is much danger for the life of the foal, and in a few hours much danger is to be feared for the safety of the mare.

I have had a very extensive practice in the veterinary business for more than nineteen years, and found it almost universally to be the case, that in the event of mal-presentation, the foal had suffocated before I could reach the spot, although I was but a very few miles distant. If the foal is raised from its locality, it must be exposed to the free atmosphere in twenty minutes or it will suffocate, and the life of the mare will be much in danger. Often, after I had extracted the foal, I could have obtained twenty dollars for restoring its life.

I have frequently been urged by farmers and breeders, to give them full instructions on this subject, and especially, at such times, when a difficult case presented itself, but I always found it impracticable, as verbal instruction would soon be forgotten, and as no work, illustrating this subject was in existence. I was induced, therefore, in order to benefit the farmer and breeder, to publish a complete treatise on the mare and foal, at the time of delivery, illustrated by engravings. I had made an effort about seven years ago, but that little instrument, the “pen,” in my hand, is what the yoke is to the ox, and so I abandoned it for that time. The cart-whip in my hand is a fine instrument, but the pen is my abhorrence. Notwithstanding, at the earnest request of numerous dealers in horses, I was induced in the Spring of 1869, to offer this work to the public, for the benefit of the farmer and breeder, and in mercy to the mare and foal.

This work, as the reader will discover, embraces every particular connected with the subject upon which it treats, with ample engravings, illustrating the different positions in which a foal is presented—its natural delivery—false presentations, etc., with lucid explanations and instructions.

CONRAD MITCHELL.

New Berlin, Pa., July, 1869.

PLATE I.

The above Engraving represents the Foal, as it is folded up in the womb of the Mare when fully developed, in the right flank of the animal, the chest of the Foal toward the tail of the Mare, the front legs turned backwards, and the hind legs turned forward under the body of the Foal, the head and neck turned back in its left side, so that the head will rest on the first false ribs. From the time of covering the Mare, to the time of foaling, generally requires a period of three hundred and thirty days. A few instances, however, came under my observation, in which fine, full-grown, and healthy colts were delivered in three hundred and twelve days, while others delayed their appearance for a period of three hundred and ninety days, before the owner could rejoice in the valuable prize brought to his stable. The full chested, round trunked mare will develope a foal much sooner than the flat-sided, lean and camel-backed one.

In nine days after the covering of the mare, the womb will begin to close about fifteen inches from the entrance; at the same time, the fecund seed of the horse will change into bloody streaks, and the balance becomes like cream on curdled milk about six hours after it is strained, and in from forty to fifty days, the foal will be regularly shaped, and about the size of a small rat. At the same time a membrane or skin will spread around the entrance inside of the womb, from which a number of small cords branch out, uniting together as they run along, until they form one cord, extending to the navel of the foal, through which the blood of the mare circulates in the foal, in order to give it nourishment. At the same time another membrane or skin is formed around the foal, in which are contained from four to six, and even eight quarts of yellowish fluid, which answers a twofold purpose: first, it prevents all friction between the foal and membrane, and secondly, it assists in raising the foal from its locality. At the first throes of the mare, the action of the womb will cause the membrane or skin to protrude through the entrance of the womb, and the fluid will be forced into it, and the weight will assist in raising the foal, until it will be presented when the skin will break and the channel will be opened for the foal to breath.

PLATE II.

The above Engraving presents the natural position of the foal in delivery. The two front feet will be presented first, and the muzzle or the nostrils will rest on the top of the legs, and the membrane or skin around the foal, spoken of in Plate I, will already protrude about two feet. The hind legs will sink down more and more, until they will be stretched out behind horizontally. Sometimes one foot will raise up too high and be forced against the inside of the entrance. The hand should be introduced and the foot pushed back a few inches and then brought back into the channel. Sometimes the forehead will project against the upper part of the entrance, when the hand should be introduced, and hold should be taken back of the poll, with a downward pressure, the other hand to the muzzle to raise it up, and a gentle pull should be made, when all will be right in a few minutes. The cord running to the navel of the colt should be tied about one inch from the surface of the skin, then cut off about one inch from the string, or if no string is at hand, the cord should be pressed very tightly between the thumb and the two first fingers of the hand for a few minutes, then cut off, and it will bleed no more. The colt should be drawn away a few feet, but not toward the mare, as she should not be disturbed. The mare will lie down flat, apparently dead, and will remain in this situation, five, ten, and even sometimes thirty minutes, according to the severity of the operation she has undergone. Suddenly she will raise her head, look about the stable, lie down again, and roll three or four times on her back, but never over her back, which is done for the purpose of loosening the membrane or lining of the womb spoken of in Plate I, when she will rise up, go after her offspring, lick and dry it, after which the membrane and the afterbirth will be discharged. When the colt is dry, it should be assisted to its mother to obtain nourishment.

Sometimes the membrane attached to the womb will remain fast, and in this manner retain the afterbirth. In this case, bleeding from three to four quarts, and giving following dose of medicine in one pint of flaxseed tea is recommended, viz:

1 oz. Laudanum,
1 oz. sweet Spirits of Niter.

This will correct everything in a few hours. In some extreme cases, the membrane, the afterbirth and the fluid contained with the foal remained in the womb after a complete separation from the womb, causing such a strong inflammation, that some parts had began to mortify. I have bled copiously, and given one large tablespoonful of fever medicine, composed of

4 oz. of Nitre,
½ ” ” Digitalis,
½ ” ” Tartar Emetic,

in one pint of Linseed tea, every three hours, and by means of a syringe, or bladder, with a clean piece of elder tied in the neck, I have injected into the womb from four to six quarts of Linseed tea, which caused a copious discharge of bloody matter from the womb, amounting sometimes to a bucket full. In extraordinary cases, the purifying organs were overpowered and the mortified blood was carried through the whole system, and even then the mare recovered to a certain degree, until in about a week afterwards her hoofs came off, caused by the mortified blood, and she was accordingly destroyed.

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.

PLATE V.

On the 30th day of April, 1855, when about ready to retire to bed after a hard day’s drive, two messengers, Mr. B. Cramer, from Middlecreek, and Mr. Uriah Berger, from Centre township, arrived at my house together. After some consideration, I concluded to accompany Mr. Berger, and on arriving, I found a foal, having presented itself as represented in the preceding Engraving. Before my arrival, three men had exerted all their strength for an hour or more, to extract it, but having failed, they left before my arrival.

In this case, the mare is very restless, repeatedly rising up and lying down again. It will require one man to attend to the head of the mare, and two men must take hold of the foal, raise it up toward the tail of the mare, and bear inwards with all their strength, when the operator must put all his force to one of the hind feet, and push that in at full arm’s length; the other side must be treated in the same manner. But let each one bear in mind, when the foal is moved inward, the mare will have pain and that she will bear towards you, so that sometimes but little is accomplished.

We labored faithfully from eleven o’clock until one, when I took a midnight meal and departed for Middlecreek township.

In some cases of the above kind, however, I had accomplished my object in much less time, than in this one.

PLATE VI.

On the 5th of May, 1855, I was called to the premises of John Deabler, in Beaver township, Snyder county, where I found a foal presenting the tail, as represented in Plate VI. Presentations of this kind occur but rarely. In this case the operator must prepare his hand and arm as before stated, and introduce it, taking hold over the stifle-joint at Fig. 1, then, by a strong effort, pull upward slipping his hand down to Fig. 2, when he must draw up the knee-joint as far as possible; then place the left hand on the knee joint, and pass the right hand down to Fig. 3, the foot, grasp it firmly, and bend it backward, at the same time pulling upward, and with left the hand bearing inward, when the foot will yield in a moment. The other side must be dealt with in the same manner.

PLATE VII.

The above Engraving represents the foal with the hind feet foremost. They will generally be projected against the upper part of the entrance. It is best to extract them in this position, as turning them is almost impossible. The head will remain so far behind, that it cannot be reached. By keeping the membrane or skin properly over the foal, there will be but little difficulty experienced in extracting it. The foal should sometimes be drawn downward toward the feet of the mare, and then upwards towards the tail, frequently turning it half way round, and then back again. The foal will necessarily be dead.

Many cases of this kind will occur in a neighborhood in the course of twenty years.

PLATE VIII.

The above Engraving represents a foal which has died from some cause or other about nine days ago, the mare wanting the proper pains to deliver it. The foal is now bloated to such an extent, that it is in a condition to rupture the womb, and the hand can not be passed around the foal. It is an utter impossibility to extract it in the usual way. The operator must procure a knife, very straight in the blade, from twelve to fifteen inches in length, wrap the whole blade in a piece of muslin, take the point of the knife in his left hand, turning the edge downward, put his hand in the entrance of the womb and run it down until he reaches the chest of the foal. He must then introduce the right hand, grasp the handle, and hold it firm; then with the left hand he will slip the muslin from the blade, and with the first finger of the left hand find the spot where the windpipe comes out of the chest. After the point of the knife is set, the right hand must force the blade, to its full length if possible, through the Diaphragm, and then withdraw it. The left hand must retain its hold upon the muslin during the entire operation, and as the blade is withdrawn from the foal, it must again be carefully wrapped around the knife, the left hand seizing the point in the same manner as when it was introduced. After the arm holding the knife is withdrawn, a very nauseous gas will escape, and in a short time the front feet may be reached, then the head, after which the operation will proceed as described in the foregoing pages.

PLATE IX.

On the 20th day of May, 1854, I was called to the field of Mr. Sem Schoch, of New Berlin, Union county, Pa., where I found a mare in the act of foaling, in which the foal presented the four feet at once. These cases are of rare occurrence, and it is well for the veterinary Surgeon, or his life would be a brief one. I never injured myself at any work to a greater extent, than I did in treating these cases.

Sometimes the hoofs will only protrude from the entrance, leaving the whole body of the foal in a curved position the head being turned backward, as described in the foregoing Engraving. The head should be brought forward, but I always found it impossible in every case of this description, to accomplish this. A cord must be looped around the hind legs, to avoid losing them; then the four legs must be put back again as far as possible, and the foal must be turned, in order to get the head down and the back up.

If an effort was made to extract the foal as it is presented, the back would come in below, and the operation would be impossible; but if it is properly turned, it may be extracted in the same manner, as those which present only the hind feet, as already described. These cases require more aid than any others that I have ever treated. Two or three men should take hold of the mare’s head and neck, to keep her down, otherwise she will plunge about fearfully. One or two men should assist the Surgeon, as the effort required for this operation is so great that one man is soon exhausted.

Two and three hours are often required to accomplish the object in these cases, but I have succeeded in every one of them in preserving the mare alive.

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