jyg Puerpei-al Convulsiuus in the Other Animals. 



parturition. It manifested itself by clonic spasms of the muscles of the 

 head and neck and of one hind extremity, as well as by shallow breathing. 

 On the following days a few attacks were noticed, but they disappeared 

 after removal of the afterbirth. 



In cows Saint-Cyr & Violet, Flemming, Albrecht and others have 

 noticed attacks shortly after parturition which were manifested by 

 clonic spasms of the muscles of the trunk and extremities, by rotation of 

 the neck and gi-inding of the teeth, and were usually repeated several 

 times lasting as long as 2 to 3 hours ; with the exception of one case, in 

 which intermeningeal hemorrhage occurred with fatal result, they all 

 ended in recovery. 



In sows Tapken often saw attacks of convulsions in connection with 

 parturition ; these occurred even during parturition, which was usually 

 severe, less often immediately before or shortly after the act. The whole 

 body of the animals Avhich at the time of parturition were lying on the side, 

 exhibited extensive muscular twitchings, there was rolling of the eyes and 

 spasms of the muscles of mastication. The individual attacks lasted 

 from 1/2 to 1, seldom 2 to 4 minutes, and were repeated at short intervals. 

 The convulsions recurred very frequently, and often rendered slaugh- 

 ter of the animals necessary. Similar cases were observed by Hen- 

 gen, Giovanoli, Holterbach and Sonnenberg. The last named author 

 found fatty degeneration in the parenchymatous organs and tube casts in 

 the urine ; he considers the disease as the result of an auto-intoxication 

 corresponding to the puerperal eclampsia of women. 



The causes of the convulsions are quite unkno^^ii. Although one 

 cannot exclude from consideration an irritation of the nerves in the gen- 

 erative organs during parturition, yet such a conjecture is not suitable 

 for most cases, because attacks occur after easy births, and sometimes 

 indeed a few days after or before the act. A more probable conception 

 is that the disease is produced by toxic material formed in the body or 

 perhaps in the generative organs. 



The treatment consists in the employment of narcotics (Ilengen 

 caused cessation of parturient convulsions in a sow by giving 10 grammes 

 of chloral hydrate in electuary). 



Literature. Albrecht, AV. f. Tk., 1880-89.— Giovanoli, J. A'et., 1905, 283. 

 (Eev.).— Hengen, W. f., Tk., 1900, 365.— Holterbach, B. t. W., 1905, 832.— Sonnen- 

 berg, iiud., 1906, 9-45.— Tapken, D. t. W., 1899, 353. 



5. Parturient Paresis. Paresis puerperalis. 



{Milchfieher, patalytlsclies Kalhefieher, ^lervuse oder foxische 



Form des Gebdrfiehers [German] ; coma puerperale, 



fievre vitulaire [Frencli] ; parfiirition fever, 



milk fever, calving fever [English].) 



Parturient paresis is an afebrile disease which occurs at 

 the termination of parturition and which is manifested by sud- 

 den loss of consciousness and a generalized paretic condition. 



History. The disease was first described by German veterinary sur- 

 geons at the beginning of the nineteenth century, being first mentioned 

 especially by Jorg (1808) . The time when the disease became knmra cor- 

 responds with the period when it became customary to feed milk cows 



