PARTURIEHT FEVER. 331 



stage of the disease, Mr. Spooner recommends camphor 

 ointment, (see List of Medicines,) and Mr. Youatt one 

 drachm of camphor ointment, one drachm of mercurial 

 ointment, and one ounce of elder ointment, well incor- 

 porated together. Both also rely greatly on constant 

 fomentation with hot water, without the ingredients which I 

 mentioned as proper to mix with it. (See page 158.) But 

 those ingredients must add to its salutary eifects. 



PARTURIENT OR PUERPERAL FEVER. This disease, as 

 already remarked, is very unusual in this country, and is, so 

 far as I have learned, confined exclusively to English sheep. 

 I have never seen a case of it. I shall therefore present the 

 following account of its symptoms and treatment from a 

 Prize Essay on the subject, prepared for the Royal Agricul- 

 tural Society of England by Mr. Isaac Seaman. He says : 



" Parturient fever may be defined a disease of low inflam- 

 matory character, involving more or less extensively the 

 organs of reproduction, digestion and respiration ; the brain 

 and spinal marrow are also involved. There is generally a 

 greater determination of blood to some organs than to others; 

 mostly the uterus is first and principally affected, in some the 

 bowels and lining membrane of the abdomen (peritoneum,) in 

 others the lungs ; the brain and spinal marrow are often very 

 much affected. It shows itself generally during the last twenty 

 days' gestation, and within the first six days after parturition : 

 the average duration of the disease is from seven to fourteen 

 days ; some die in two days while others linger a month. 



" Causes. Any circumstance or agency which depresses 

 the power of the system, insufficient or improper food, close 

 folding, exposure to fatigue, to cold, and moisture, may be 

 considered causes of the affection. I have repeatedly noticed, 

 where ewes about a month before lambing have been removed 

 from a sufficiency of wholesome food to other possessing less 

 nutritive qualities, they have suffered greatly from parturient 

 fever. The practice of fattening sheep and ewes being fed 

 upon the same piece of turnips, (the best parts of which are 

 consumed by the former, whilst the roots and other inferior 

 parts are consumed by the latter,) ought to be abandoned ; 

 a small fold, too a circumstance so essential to the develop- 

 ment of fat in the one, whilst highly injurious to the pregnant 

 ewe, to whom exercise is of the greatest importance for 

 the maintenance of health. * Moist and warm seasons, 



* I have italicised these words, so strongly confirmatory of the views expressed 

 in the closing portion of Chapter XIX extending from page 221 to 228 of this volume. 



