Eclampsia. Pueiperal Convulsions. 775 



lar symptoms as does the epileptic. Here also certain warning 

 signs may be noticed sucli as unrest, aimless wandering about, 

 loss of appetite, starting up from sleep in a fright. Sometimes 

 the attack lasts only for a short time and then passes otf for 

 good, but again it may last several quarters of an hour or be 

 repeated at different intervals while in other cases the attacks 

 may follow so quickly on one another that the animals are con- 

 tinually tormented by the convulsions for hours (status eclamp- 

 ticus). 



Eclamptic attacks quite frequently lead to death, and this 

 may happen in a few minutes. As a rule the prognosis is more 

 unfavorable the longer the convulsions continue. In giving an 

 opinion caution is always .necessary in order not to mistake 

 other ailments for eclampsia. Thus dogs in the course of dis- 

 temper, swine in erysipelas or pyobacillosis not infrequently 

 exhibit convulsions; besides the spasms of the death struggle 

 are sometimes believed to be an independent disease by the at- 

 tendants. 



Since eclampsia of young animals is in many cases a reflex 

 condition, treatment consists in the removal of the cause if this 

 has been ascertained, and the driving out of tapeworms is here 

 of first importance. The attack itself is controlled ^^dth narcotic 

 remedies, such as potassium bromide (0.2 to 0.5 gm. every 3 

 hours), bromipin (a teaspoonful to a tablespoonful) or with 

 chloral hydrate (0.1 to 0.5 gm.). 



The rare eclampsia of adult animals is most apt to be 

 due to the transitory effect of the same causes which bring 

 about reflex epilepsy (see page 771). Tapken saw in a cow 

 an attack of convulsions lasting for several hours due to the 

 noise made by the firing of a gun. 



White & Plaskett report ui^on a North Amerieau breed of goats, ("Startled 

 goats," "Fainting goats") where the animals collapse from quite trifling external 

 influences, and are seized with tonic spasms like those from strychnine poisoning; 

 after 20 to 30 seconds they get up, and their gait remains stiff for a short time. Many 

 animals are said to ]>e frightened to death from quite trivial causes (?). According 

 to Dexler these cases are due to pathological and degenerative peculiarities of an 

 hereditary nature similar to the sensory disturbances in dancing mice and albinotic 

 deaf animals. 



Literature. Besnoit, Eev. vet., 1901, 349.— Castelet, D. t. W., 1900, 312 (Eev.). 

 —Dexler, B. t. W., 1908, 970.— Soulet, Eev. gen., 1905, VI, 471.— Tapken, D. t. W., 

 1899, 353.— White & Plaskett, Am. v. Eev., 1904, 1167. 



4. Puerperal Convulsions. 



{Eclampsia puerperalis.) 



In connection with parturition there occurs a peculiar con- 

 vulsive illness chiefly noticed in bitches, but occasionally in other 

 female animals. In the course of an attack consciousness does 

 not, as a rule, appear to be visibly disturbed. The last men- 



