I 



PARTURIENT APOPLEXY.— PARTURIEXT COLLAPSE. 669 



turbances of the organ are manifest, which often terminate in total un- 

 consciousness. In narcosis the brain is poor in blood and pale ; the 

 action of cold on it produces contraction of the blood-vessels and anaemia, 

 resulting in lethargy and, finally, unconsciousness. 



Even during sleep there is less blood in the brain than when awake. 

 The fontanella of children collapse somewhat during sleep, and the upper 

 surface of the brain itself becomes pale, as has been shown to be the 

 case in animals by Durham, Strike a dog a severe blow on the muzzle, 

 and it will at once become insensible, and perhaps quickly die. This is 

 owing to the blow having affected the inhibitory filaments (in the track 

 of the fifth cerebral nerve are a number of these filaments, which excite 

 the contraction of the vessels), and caused them to bring about complete 

 contraction of the small cerebral arteries, so that the brain becomes 

 suddenly deprived of arterial blood ; hence unconsciousness and death. 

 There is also the instructive experiment of Goltz, by which, when the 

 heart's movements are made to stop at the diastole, the blood-vessels 

 dilate, especially those of the portal system, and there is brain anoemia. 



All this tends to show that the same symptoms are common to anaemia 

 of the brain and calf-fever. No doubt coma can result from deficient oxida- 

 tion of the ganglion-cells of the cerebrum, from exclusion of air ; or blend- 

 ing of matter or carbonic acid therein, which prevent the blood from pass- 

 ing into the tissues, will readily induce coma. Another symptom must be 

 referred to — paralysis. I'his symptom manifests itself in two ways — in 

 single muscles or in groups of muscles. In the first, the nerve connected 

 with the muscles, or its centrum in the brain or spinal cord, ceases to 

 act. This is the commonest form of paralysis, and may be due to apo- 

 plexy. In the second case, the paralysis may arise from functional inac- 

 tivity of the volitional centre, located in the cerebrum. The animal, as 

 a rule, makes no attempt to move, or cannot take the initiative in move- 

 .ment ; and we might be inclined to designate it as a "paralysis of the 

 will." Some of the symptoms of paralysis which appear at the com- 

 mencement of calf-fever may certainly be traced to the latter form. 

 Saake seems to be quite convinced of this, for he says that the paralysis 

 is owing to a disinclination to move the hinder parts. 



In the second place, it is particularly interesting to note the frequent 

 occurrence of epileptic attacks and spasms. The latter can be produced 

 by sudden anaemia of the brain. The various centres in the medulla ob- 

 longata can, according to Landois, be irritated by anaemia ; and sudden 

 and acute anaemia of the medulla oblongata is most likely to occur in the 

 fourth ventricle, above and behind the pons where the " spasm-centre " 

 {^Kra77ipfezefitrmn) is situated. From this may arise convulsions which 

 are very similar to, if not identical with, epilepsy. Epilepsy can, how- 

 ever, in many instances be traced to anaemia of the brain and medulla 

 oblongata, induced by reflex action of the vaso-motor centres, or direct 

 influence of the inhibitory nerves. We may easily be convinced of this 

 by watching an animal which is being bled to death after being stunned. 

 When nearly all the blood has escaped, and reflex action through the 

 cornea can no longer take place, insensibility and acute convulsions 

 (Opisthotonos) then set in — the latter bearing the closest resemblance to 

 those of epilepsy and calf-fever, and are assignable to the same cause. 



The comatose symptoms occur chiefly in distinct ansemia of the brain 

 surface and cerebral ganglia, and when the medulla oblongata is involved 

 convulsions prevail. It does not seem out of place to direct attention to 



