1891.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 83 



know it, its deadly work has set in. At once it telegraphs 

 down this line of nerves to the udder, " Stop secretion !" 

 and it is obeyed. The inflammation proceeds along this net- 

 work of nerves to the uterus, to the lumbar region of the 

 spine, and it keeps progressing ; and the moment that it 

 reaches the spine, paralysis of these parts ensues, and the 

 cow drops. It is called "dropping" in England. It then 

 commences to involve the spine, and keeps progressing clear 

 along to the brain, convulsions ensue, and by-and-by the 

 poor animal swings her head sidewise, her eyes grow glassy, 

 and she dies, the victim of her own maternity. 



Now, my friends, you and I very little understand the 

 wonderful connection between the nervous machinery and 

 the mammary function ; if we did understand it better, we 

 would use this gentle mother a great deal better. No finer 

 truth was ever uttered than that expressed by Mr. W. C. 

 White of Wisconsin, a man who illustrated in his person 

 the sweetest elements of human nature, — the most success- 

 ful dairyman that ever appeared in our State. When asked 

 how he treated his cows, he said, " I always speak to a cow 

 as I would to a lady." A great many men reverse it, and 

 speak to ladies as they would to a cow. But, my friends, 

 the man who is lacking in respect for the motherhood of 

 either does not deserve either. 



I said to you that the nervous machinery operates with 

 wonderful force upon the mammary functions. Let me give 

 you some examples. I had a beautiful little Jersey cow 

 that was a great favorite of mine ; a cow that was as full of 

 intelligence as anything I ever saw, and she was a great pet. 

 I took her as an experimental cow in my studies along this 

 line. I sat down to milk her one day, and took the milk 

 which flowed during the first few moments of her milking 

 and set it one side ; kept on milking, and suddenly took a 

 pin, — I wanted to beg her forgiveness for doing it, but I 

 was after truth, — and gave her a severe scratch across the 

 flank. She had never known such treatment, and she sprang 

 from me, agitated and trembling. I finally quieted her, and 

 drew the rest of the milk from her udder and analyzed that, 

 and also the milk that I had drawn before disturbing her, 

 and I found that I had in an instant eliminated fifteen per 



