336 PARTURIENT FEVER. 



things exactly according to our wishes, to have the ewe enter 

 the term of gestation in moderate order, and then gain a little 



almost imperceptibly to the time of lambing. But let 

 me not be mistaken. This is no time to fatten or to stimulate 



no time to over-feed, as many do, on the wholly unfounded 

 hypothesis that it is necessary for the support of the foetus. 

 On this last point let me corroborate my opinions by much 

 more authoritative ones. The well known Dr. Dewees, 

 speaking of pregnant human females, says : 



" Errors in diet are almost constantly committed during 

 pregnancy, than which few things are more mischievous. 

 We have already adverted to the tending of the system to 

 plethora, during this condition of the female : on this account 

 it can not fail to be injurious to overcharge, or to overstimu- 

 late the stomach. No one circumstance has contributed so 

 certainly to fix this error, as the vulgar speculation on this 

 subject ; namely, the necessity the female is under to prepare 

 nourishment for two beings, at one and the same time ; that 

 is, for herself and the child within her. It is, therefore, 

 constantly recommended, to eat and drink heartily ; and this 

 she often does, until the system is goaded to fever ; and some- 

 times to more sudden and greater evils, as convulsions or 

 apoplexy." * 



Mr. Youatt says : " It has been supposed by some breed- 

 ers that, because the ewe is with lamb, an additional quantity 

 of food, of more nutritive food, should be allowed ; nothing 

 can be more erroneous or dangerous both to the mother and 

 the offspring. There will be too many causes of inflammation 

 ready to act, and to act powerfully, during the time of going 

 . with lamb, to prevent the least approach to excess of food." f 



According to eminent British medical writers, like Dr. 

 Hey, Dr. Gordon, Dr. Joseph Clarke, Dr. John Clarke, etc., 

 puerperal fever in the human subject often assumes an 

 epidemic and highly destructive character in Europe, and 

 particularly in England. According to Dr. Dewees, it is 

 very rare in the United States.J 



The history of the disease thus far seems to run parallel 

 between human and ovine subjects, in this country and 

 Europe. It would seem that it assumed an epizootic, or 

 rather enzootic character in Mr. Thome's neighborhood. 



* Treatise on the Diseases of Females, by William P. Dewees, M. D., late Profes- 

 sor of Midwifery in the University of Pennsylvania, &c., &c., 1840. 

 t Touatt on Sheep, p. 497. He repeats these views again and again. 

 % Dewees on the Diseases of Females, p. 380. 



