150 III. OXIDATION AND METABOLISM 



ester fractions were low, particularly in the later stages of ketonuria. Neu- 

 tral fats were relatively low in the early stages of spontaneous ketosis, while 

 they were normal or high in the latter stages. When cows were given 70 

 to 80% of their caloric reciuirement, the plasma lipids were found to resemble 

 those in the early stages of ketosis/^^ When they received only 35% of 

 their total nutritional requirement, the postpartal plasma lipid values were 

 similar to those of cows in advanced stages of ketosis. ^^^ The predisposing 

 factor in the development of spontaneous ketosis cannot be traced to fatty 

 livers.^-'* 



The milk obtained from cows affected with ketosis contains increased 

 ketone bodies. Blood values for ketone bodies as high as 300 to 450 mg. % 

 were recorded by Sjollema and van der Zande,^^^ while the corresponding 

 figures of 7.4 to 30.9 mg. % have been reported in the milk of cows with 

 acetonemia. ^^^ In contradistinction to these values, the milk of normal 

 cows contains only small amounts of ketone bodies,^"^-^"-^^^ 



b'. Ketosis in Sheep: As in the case of cattle, ketosis in sheep is largely 

 confined to the female. However, in contradistinction to cows, in which 

 ketosis occurs as a post-parturient complication, in ewes it occurs previous 

 to parturition. ^^^ Although acetonemia in sheep has been referred to by 

 at least nineteen names, the term, "pregnancy disease," is the most common 

 designation. According to Groenewald and associates, ^"^ the first refer- 

 ence to pregnancy disease ("domsiekte," or "stupid sickness") in ewes was 

 that of Steele in 1890, who called it "parturient fever in sheep." Henning 

 (also cited by Groenewald et a/.)'"''' stated that the disease had been known 

 in the Cape Colony earlier than 1882. Apparently, the occurrence of 

 pregnancy disease in ewes is world-wide. '*^*'*^'' It probably occurs through- 

 out the United States wherever sheep are raised. ^^^ 



The general consensus of opinion of a number of workers^'^'*'^^""'*^'* is that 

 pregnancy disease develops in ewes which are underfed during pregnancy, 

 and especially during the last one-third of the gestation period, when the 



*28 p. Saarinen and J. C. Shaw, /. Dairy Set., S3, 508-514 (1950). 



«9 P. Saarinen and J. C. Shaw, /. Dairy Sci., 33, 515-525 (1950). 



"0 L. M. Roderick and G. S. Harshfield, A^. Dakota Agr. Expt. Sta., Tech. Bull. No. 261, 

 3-31 (Oct., 1932). 



4" C. S. M. Hopkirk, Amtralian Vet. J., 10, 54-64 (1934); cited by J. W. Groenewald, 

 H. Graf, and R. Clark, Onderstepoort J. Vet. Sci. Animal Ind., 17, 225-244 (1941), p. 233. 



«2 L. M. Roderick, G. S. Harshfield, and M. C. Hawn, J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc, 90 

 [n.s.43], 41-50(1937). 



«3 A. H. H. Eraser, W. Godden, L. C. Snook, and W. Thomson, /. PhijsioL, 94, 346- 

 357 (1938). 



"* A. H. H. Fraser, W. Godden, L. C. Snook, and W. Thomson, /. Physiol, 97, 120- 

 127(1939). 



