PARTURIENT FEVER. 333 



majority of cases at this period are dead, and their decompo- 

 sition (that is, giving off putrid matter,) is a frequent cause of 

 giddiness and stupor in the ewe. If the os uteri (the 

 entrance into the womb) is not sufficiently dilated to admit 

 of the hand of the operator, the vaginal cavity and os uteri 

 should be smeared every three hours with the extract of 

 belladonna, and medicine as follows, given : Calomel eight 

 grains, extract hyoscyamus one drachm, oatmeal gruel eight 

 ounces mix and give " two tablespoonfuls twice a day. 

 Epsom salts two ounces, nitre half ounce, carbonate of soda 

 two ounces, water one pint mix and give two wine-glass- 

 fuls at the same time the former mixture is given. Let both 

 mixtures be kept in separate bottles, and well shaken before 

 given. The bowels being operated upon, omit both foi-mer 

 prescriptions, and give the following : Nitre half ounce, 

 carbonate of soda one ounce, camphor one drachm, water 

 eight ounces a wine-glassful to be given twice a day. Feed 

 the ewe principally upon gruel and milk, or linseed porridge. 

 Parturition having taken place, the uterus should be injected 

 with a solution of chloride of lime, in the proportion of a 

 drachm to a pint of water, and repeated twice a day whilst 

 any fetid discharge from the vagina remains. * * * 



''Post Mortem Appearances. On opening the body of an 

 ewe in which parturient fever has existed, and has been the 

 cause of death, a great variety of appearances are presented. 

 In some cases a degree of redness, varying from clear 

 vermillion to a reddish brown, is variously disposed over the 

 coats of the intestines and lining membrane of the abdomen 

 (peritoneum) and the cavity of the abdomen, invariably 

 containing a great quantity of reddish serum (red -water.) 

 The liver mottled, its structure soft, and the bile appearing 

 dark and viscid. The cavity of the womb containing much 

 dark colored putrid matter, emitting a most horrible stench, 

 its structure soft and almost black. The blood in the heart 

 and large blood vessels frequently found black, would not 

 coagulate, and destitute of tenacity. The lungs frequently 

 found gorged with a reddish serosity [fluid] and of a deeply 

 red or brown color, and as soft as pulp, the cavity of the 

 chest containing much red serum. Dark colored spots 

 variously disposed over the surface of the brain, and within 

 the sheath of the spinal marrow. 



''Prevention. The most important feature connected 

 with our subject is the prevention of the disease, for it most 

 interests the breeder in a pecuniary point of view. I would 



