668 PATHOLOGY OF PARTURITION. 



the causes he believes to be a bad regime, and pressure of the foetus on 

 the stomach and intestines, diaphragm, vena cava, and posterior aorta. 

 A too rapid evacuation of the contents of the uterus brings about a fall 

 of the abdominal viscera, dilatation of the posterior aorta, and slacken- 

 ing of the circulation. 



This theory of Wermer's is somewhat analogous to that of Franck, 

 who compares the disease to the parturient eclampsia of woman, and 

 has done more to elucidate its pathology by calling to his aid modern 

 physiological teaching, than any previous investigator. 



The great importance of the subject from a pathological and therapeu- 

 tical, no less than from an ecomical, point of view, induces us to notice 

 his statements at greater length than we have done those of other veteri- 

 nary writers, as we think they go far to furnish an explanation of the 

 phenomena of this disease. 



Franck {Woc/imschrift /iir Thierheilkimde, 1876, Nos. 21, 22) says that 

 nearly all the theories set up have this in common, that their correctness 

 or incorrectness has never been supported by experiments. If we con- 

 sider the conditions which are present at parturition, as well as the symp- 

 toms of the disease, we are led to attribute the origin of the latter to an 

 acute ancemia (" Blutarmuth " — poverty of blood), and consequent sudden 

 loss of brain power. With respect to this the following questions have 

 to be answered : 



1. Do the same symptoms appear in sudden brain anaemia as occur 

 in calf-fever (" Kalbefiebers," the popular name for the malady in Ger- 

 many) ? 



2. Has brain anaemia any relation to calf-fever? 



3. If so, what occasions this brain anaemia ? 



Now as regards the first question, it is an indisputable fact that the 

 functions of the brain are in a great measure dependent on the state of 

 the circulation. A large array of physiological facts tend to show that 

 reduoed flow of blood in this organ, and consequent diminished oxidation' 

 of the brain ganglia, lead to lethargy, lessened reflex action, loss of 

 volition, and complete unconsciousness. Snakes, which seldom feed, but 

 which on these occasions consume an enormous quantity of food, are 

 known to be in this comatose state after one of their heavy meals ; they 

 either move about sluggishly or not at all, are quite stupid, make no 

 attempt to flee from danger, and can be then easily destroyed. This is 

 due to a peculiar distribution of the blood. A large proportion of this 

 fluid must necessarily be diverted to the stomach, in order to convert the 

 enormous quantity of food into chyle ; consequently, the stomach has 

 much more blo^d during the process of digestion than when this is not 

 going on. The stomach having absorbed the blood, it follows that the 

 brain and muscular system must suffer from a deprivation of it. Now 

 there is a general physiological law to the effect, that organs cannot per- 

 form their functions without a sufficient supply of the vital fluid ; and as 

 the cerebrum is the seat of volition and of consciousness, these two func- 

 tions are diminished in activity by sudden loss of blood, and if the depri- 

 vation is very considerable, the brain entirely ceases to act. 



Remove the cerebrum from an animal (such as a pigeon), and the same 

 symptoms appear; the animal is no longer conscious of what is going on ; 

 it can no longer assert its will or control its movements ; it lies as if in 

 a dream, but otherwise its health is unimpaired. It is different, however, 

 if the whole of the brain loses much blood j then certain functional dis- 



