200 CAUSES, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OF 



Parturient Apoplexy. — This disease principally affects the brain 

 and spinal cord, due, in most cases, to a congested state of the brain, 

 in which it differs from parturient peritonitis, and, in some cases, it 

 involves the sympathetic system, which has a great deal to do with 

 certain diseases, and it may be influenced in various ways. There are 

 various theories brought forward in regard to it. It was thought to 

 be due to a specific poison in the blood, which would produce the dis- 

 ease in other animals ; it is also said to be due to the arteries of the 

 brain in cattle differing from those of the horse. But these are not 

 tenable. Another is that the sympathetic system has something to 

 do with it. This is tenable. When a cow is in good health and the 

 secretions going on in a natural manner, parturition is easily accom- 

 plished, and there is a large amount of blood in the system which is to 

 go to the milk, and, instead of going there, it is thrown back upon the 

 system, to a certain extent, influencing the sympathetic system. It is 

 due, generally, to a plethoric condition — those affected are those in 

 perfect health. Prof. Williams' theory is a good one (Williams' Veter- 

 inary Medicine, page 462). Post mortems usually reveal lesions of the 

 brain and spinal cord. There is, even, effusion into the ventricle some- 

 times, and the spinal cord is sometimes reddened. There are other 

 conditions, but they are generally incident to the condition of the ani- 

 mal before death. There may be hypostatic congestion of the lungs or 

 liver. The most noticeable characteristic is the rapidity of its develop- 

 ment. An animal may appear in perfect health, and be dead in four or 

 five hours. It appears from the first to the third day after calving, 

 and the sooner it appears the more fatal it is. Another peculiarity is, 

 it seldom or never follows an abortion, while parturient peritonitis 

 does ; and it does not occur in very young cows, but is most likely to 

 attack a cow in her prime It follows difficult parturition, when force 

 has been used, or where there was hemorrhage from the womb, and 

 seldom occurs in an animal in poor condition. 



Symptoms. — Perhaps the first noticed is, the cow does not give as 

 much milk as she should ; the urine depressed and the bowels con- 

 stipated ; fever takes place, and all the secretions are affected, and 

 perhaps there are no other symptoms, and if you are called to a case 

 in which there is not the milk expected, and the above symptoms, 

 then look out for it, and give something to prevent it. There may be 

 but little pain, and the thermometer will reveal a slight increase in 

 temperature. When the well-marked symptoms appear the cow 

 moves first one and then the other leg, paddles, as it is called, when 

 she walks, lies down, gets up and lies down again, until, perhaps, she 

 can not get up ; then, perhaps, dashes the head violently, throwing it 

 up over the shoulder, which seems to be a favorite position ; then she 

 may, perhaps, become comatose, the pupil dilated, and the breathing 

 stertorious ; the pulse forty, fifty or sixty, and almost imperceptible ; 

 there is but little feeling, and death soon occurs. In other cases the 

 symptoms are not so rapidly developed, and such are more easily 

 treated. It is generally easily diagnosed, but you may make a mis- 

 take in the early stage of the disease. 



Treatment. — There are many remedies recommended, and, I think, 

 in the early stage, before the animal gets down, that abstraction of 

 blood is beneficial ; but there is difference of opinion here, therefore I 

 recommend taking blood, and, as well as that, give a pretty good dose 

 of purgative medicine — from one to two pounds of Epsom salts— and 

 give injections ; but if partially or completely comatose, do not take 

 blood, but give stimulants — as sweet spirits of nitre, nitrate of potash, 



