Prognosis. Treatment. ygy 



.i^-eneral ))ecome much lower and now amounts to 15 to 25%, or 

 after using air infusion exclusively, even to less than this (max- 

 imum 16% [Hess]). In a given case, however, it may be very 

 difficult to foretell what the prol)able result of the illness will 

 1)6, because on the one hand an apparently slight attack may 

 end m death, whilst on the other hand an exceedingly ill animal 

 often recovers. In general it may be said that the occurrence 

 of the disease before, during or shortly after parturition as 

 well as a very rapid aggravation of the condition must be con- 

 sidered as signs of an unfavorable prognosis (de Bruin, Hess). 

 The presence of concurrent tuberculosis in a sick animal is also 

 unfavorable. 



^ A relapse may occur in the course of the next few hours 

 or m one or two days, especially if after the udder treatment 

 the air is removed too soon from the vessel or escape from it 

 spontaneously. 



Treatment. First of all the animal should, if possible, be 

 provided with an airy place, well bedded and placed lying on her 

 left side with head higher than the body. In order to prevent 

 tympanites it is advisable to support the animal with straw 

 ])undles so that she lies slightly inclined to the left side ^vith her 

 feet under her breast bone. Constant watching is required so 

 that she does not injure herself when tossing about. 



The administration of medicine or other things by the 

 mouth should be avoided entirely in order to prevent aspiration 

 If tpnpanites is severe the gases may be removed with the 

 stomach tube or with a trocar. The accumulated urine may be 

 induced to flow by slight pressure on the bladder. 



Subcutaneous injections of vasoconstricting remedies may 

 be very usefully employed. In the first place is caffeine (4-8 

 gni.), then strychnine (0.02-0.08 gin.), veratrin (0.1-0.2 gin. in 

 dilute alcohol), eserine (0.10-0.15 gm.), or pilocarpine (0.2-0.3 

 gm.) give good results; eserine and pilocarpine cause also vig- 

 orous contractions of the intestinal muscles. This method of 

 treatment when practiced by itself in early times, as well as also 

 now when used in conjunction with Schmidt's treatment gives 

 favorable results. Barium chloride can be usefully employed 

 (animal experiments of De Bary, Marek) ; it exercises a power- 

 ful contractile effect upon the vessels, and may be used in small 

 doses intravenously (0.05-0.10 gm. in 10 gm. of warm water) 

 or as clysters (1-2 gm. in a liter of lukewarm water). Cuta- 

 neous stimulants like friction of the skin, fomentations with cold 

 or warm Avater, etc., exercise a stimulating effect on the vaso- 

 motor nerves and tone up the whole nervous system. 



The injection of air into the udder has become quite a gen- 

 eral method of treating milk fever. At first Schmidt (Kold- 

 ing), the founder of this therapeutic procedure, used 1% pot. 

 iodide solution along with the admission of air, but nowadays 

 this method of treatment has been wholly replaced by the more 



