DR. LEGEAR'S STOCK BOOK. 287 



PAKTUKIENT APOPLEXY. 



This is a disease peculiar to mature, fat cows, at or a day or 

 two after calving. It is seldom if ever seen in the common 

 breeds of cows, but the well bred, heavy milkers that are big 

 fat at the calving time are the ones that suffer more frequently 

 from this disease. It is seldom if ever seen in cows that are poor 

 in flesh, or at first calving; nor ever seen after a case of 

 difficult calving, as the severe labor, loss of blood, etc., 

 have a tendency to weaken the system to a certain extent and 

 prevent the disease. It invariably follows an easy calving, and 

 the large amount of blood which after delivery of the calf 

 should go to make milk, instead of doing so is thrown back upon 

 the system, and causing congestion of the brain and spinal cord, 

 gives rise to the various symptoms of parturient apoplexy. It- 

 is one of the most serious and rapidly fatal diseases with which 

 the Veterinary Surgeon has to deal. High feeding, with the 

 animal fat and full of rich blood, and an easy delivery, are the 

 main causes of this terribly fatal disease. It is more prevalent 

 during very hot weather, as the heat helps to bring on the fever. 

 Heavy milking cows that are in good flesh and fed heavily up to 

 the time of calving are very liable to this disease, if they come in 

 during a very hot spell of weather. 



Symptoms. The disease comes on from one hour to several 

 days after calving, it being seldom seen before calving. The 

 nearer to the time of calving the disease comes on the more fatal 

 it is. All cases that come on within two days after calving gen- 

 erally die, while a majority of cases can be cured that come on 

 after the third day. The animal is generally first noticed to be 

 somewhat dull, with unsteady, staggering gait. There is a pecu- 

 liar paddling action of the feet which is characteristic of partu- 

 rient apoplexy. In severe cases the paralysis increases rapidly, 



