NEURASTHENIA IN PREGNANT EWES. 



Causes : inactivity, lowered muscular and nervous tone, twin pregnancy, 

 approach of parturition, dry (clover hay) ration, concurrent diseases. Symp- 

 toms : moping, anorexia, depression, stupor, blindness, paresis, lethargy. 

 Prevention : open air life, exercise, high muscular condition, avoidance of 

 debilitating and relaxing conditions. Treatment : hygienic, nerve tonics, 

 attend to concurrent diseases. 



Neurasthenia has been defined as an incompetency of the 

 nervous S3^stenl, leading to early fatigue, and inability to recuper- 

 ate from the prostrate condition. Pending a better knowledge of 

 the affection, I have given this name to an asthenic affection seen 

 in pregnant ewes when nearing the completion of the period of 

 gestation. 



Causes. In a large number of cases I have found several con- 

 ditions so constant, not to say invariable, that the)' seem to de- 

 serve special attention in the list of causes : 



ist. Enforced inactivity. In every instance that has come 

 under my notice the ewes have been confined for .several months 

 to a barn or at most a confined yard so that exercise became im- 

 possible. The mu.scular system was flabb}' and .soft, although as 

 a rule there was abundance of fat, and the number of red globules 

 did not vary much from the normal. In an animal that is natur- 

 ally ,so active, and so accustomed to outdoor life the reduction of 

 tone and vigor is to be expected. The same evil shows in other 

 directions, thus after a snowy winter and clo.se confinement the 

 crop of lambs will .sometimes perish of goitre without exception, 

 while in subsequent j'ears, with enforced exercise of the ewes, 

 practicalh^ all escape. 



2d. Twin lambs have been found in the womb of almo.st every 

 case examined. The extra drain upon the .sj'stem, and the de- 

 pressing action of the load on an atonic ewe together with the 

 .symptomatic irritation are to be noted. 



3d. The near approach of the completion of gestation, the 

 cumulative effect of a long pregnancy, and perhaps the absorption of 

 metabolic products from the foetal membranes in course of prepar- 

 tion for detachment, and of leucomaines from the physiologically 



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