324 VETERINARY HYGIENE 



Cleanliness in connection with milkers and milking, cows and 

 houses would undoubtedly reduce the incidence of mammitis. In 

 outbreaks of the form of chronic mammitis, in which contagion 

 appears to play the greatest part in spread, one should carry out 

 isolation of the affected, and these should have separate milkers. 

 If circumstances do not allow this, the diseased animals should be 

 stalled together and should be milked last. Milkers must wash 

 both their hands and the udder after milking. Litter from beneath 

 infected cows should be burnt or mixed with chloride of lime. New 

 purchases should be quarantined for about a fortnight if possible. 



MILK FEVER. 



This is an afebrile condition occurring usually within a day or 

 two of parturition, the chief symptom being complete loss of con- 

 sciousness. Many theories have been brought forward to explain 

 the etiology of milk fever, but at the present time the origin of the 

 disease still remains obscure. It is by far most frequently met 

 with in cows, though the condition is said to occur in rare instances 

 in the goat and sow. Cows of all ages are susceptible, but mostly 

 so at the third to fifth calving, i.e., during the period when they are 

 considered to yield the greatest amount of milk with the highest 

 percentage of fat. Eckles and Palmer* have shown, however, 

 that the variation in the fat content is not such as is generally 

 supposed. A plethoric condition resulting from too heavy feeding 

 and too little exercise before the full time of gestation is usually 

 put forward as a predisposing cause. With regard to this we have 

 only to say that we have frequently observed the disease when every 

 precaution was taken to avoid a condition of plethora. Cases 

 are also said to occur most commonly after an easy birth. 



The onset of the disease is as a rule very rapid, and when 

 recovery occurs this is equally rapid even in some cases in which 

 no treatment has been applied. With modern treatment and 

 prompt attention the mortality to-day is low; probably less than 

 3 per cent. 



From our experience it appears that little can be done to prevent 

 the occurrence of milk fever. Too heavy feeding and insufficient 

 exercise before calving should be avoided. It is important to avoid 

 milking the cow too soon after calving. One should remove small 

 quantities of milk from the udder at frequent intervals and avoid 

 emptying the udder completely. Nevertheless, most practitioners 

 have encountered cases of milk fever before milking had begun, 

 *Journ. Agric. Res., 1917, XL, No. 12, p. 645-648. 



