564 THE DISEASES AND DISORDERS OP THE OX. 



breathes a little more quickly, does not like movement, and, if 

 caused to move, staggers in her gait, loses appetite, ceases to 

 chew the cud and to give milk, and has a staring look in the 

 eyes. The hind-limbs give way about twenty hours after ih& 

 onset of the disease, the animal falls to the ground, and 

 remains in the recumbent posture. The eyes are now blood- 

 shot, and they protrude, and are insensible to the touch. There 

 is, in fact, a loss of sensation all over the body, and, moreover, 

 a loss of power of voluntary motion. The pulse is full, soft, 

 and slow, but as the disease progresses it becomes faster and 

 smaller, and finally imperceptible. The breathing, too, is slow, 

 and after a time stertorous. The mucous membranes are 

 purple in colour, and the head and horns are hot. 



The animal may probably be delirious, and dash its head 

 about with excessive violence, or it may lapse into a state of 

 coma, and lie with the head flexed round on the shoulder. The 

 muscles of the eyelids twitch convulsively, the udder retains 

 its soft condition, or may perhaps become hard and small. The 

 animal cannot swallow, the bowels do not act, the urine remains 

 in the bladder. The animal becomes blown-up with wind, 

 and becoming more and more comatose, at length dies. In 

 some cases, especially if the animal is well treated, recovery 

 may be hoped for. There is, however, danger of a relapse, and 

 in order to obviate this risk, the patient should be most care- 

 fully attended to, and occasionally turned so that it does not lie 

 for a long time upon the same side. 



After death the veins may be seen to be distended with black 

 blood, there are petechiee on various serous membranes, the brain 

 and spinal cord show congestion and extravasation of blood. It 

 is difficult to say what is the cause of the disease. It may be 

 due to encephalic anaemia. On the other hand the coma, 

 delirium, and convulsions, are probably due to the congestion of 

 the brain and spinal cord. The removal of the offspring from 

 the mother seems to bring on milk-fever, and hence it looks as 

 if the presence in the blood of matters which ought to have 

 been expelled from it by the medium of the milk has a great 

 deal to do with the disease. 



In regard to treatment, it may first be said that it is well to 

 allow a cow to take a little gentle exercise during the few days 

 before delivery is expected to take place, to avoid plethora, and 



