PARTURIENT APOPLEXY.— PARTURIENT COLLAPSE. 673 



creased aortic pressure can very quickly be transmitted to the brain, and 

 can also readily lead to apoplexy. It is worthy of notice that the first 

 stage of parturient fever — viz., the stage marked by congestion of the 

 brain — is observed in the Mare. It soon terminates in death, as is also 

 sometimes the case with the Cow, as a result of apoplexy. Such cases, 

 though not sufficiently substantiated by the results of autopsies, have been 

 described by Gerrard {Veterinarian^ 1874). The Mares in question died 

 during parturition, or soon after. 



The second stage, however — which in the Cow is marked by anaemia 

 of the brain and comatose symptoms arising therefrom, as also by con- 

 vulsions, and which has all the characteristic features of parturient fever 

 — has hitherto not been observed in the Mare. We must now ask the 

 question whether anaemia of the brain can arise in any other manner? 

 Must congestion and effusion always be the forerunners of anaemia "i 

 There is no doubt that anaemia of the brain can occur in quite a different 

 manner ; but the question is whether, in the case of calf-fever, it shows 

 itself in any other way than that already described .'' The portal circu- 

 latory system, which is governed by the splanchnic nerve — the largest 

 and most important vaso-motor nerve in the body — is a most powerful 

 one. Under certain conditions, this portal system can receive the whole 

 mass of blood in the body ; the animal can, to use the expression of a 

 celebrated physiologist, " bleed to death in its own portal vessels." 



If the portal vein of a dog is tied, all the symptoms of anaemia set in, 

 and result in death ; as the intestines, and more especially the spleen, 

 are distended with blood. The animal dies from want of blood, yet with- 

 out losing a single drop of blood from its vessels. 



Similar symptoms were the result of Goltz's experiments and nicotine 

 poisoning. The latter poison has the effect of paralyzing the circulatory 

 nervous centre, and this is followed by a general dilatation of the vessels. 

 In many diseases — among others, in rabies — there are somewhat similar 

 symptoms.* It is also known that after rapid escape of the stomach gas 

 in tympanitis, the evacuation of large abscesses in hydrops, etc., sudden 

 collapse follows from brain anaemia. In these cases the blood flows 

 quickly to the stomach and its organs, and the brain becomes emptied. 

 A similar rush of blood into the portal vein can also be brought about in 

 a reflex manner — viz., through stimulation of the sensory nerves. Stop- 

 page of the heart by reflex vagus stimulation or reflex splanchnic pa- 

 ralysis (consequent paralysis of the portal system), can thus be brought 

 on. Quite recently Fischer (Volkmann's Satfinilung Klinischer Vortrdge, 

 No. 10) has attributed the occurrence of "shock " in man to the reflex 

 paralysis of the nerves of the vessels. The conditions and arguments 

 hold good for those of calf-fever in the Cow. 



Werner, in particular {Wochenschrift fiir Thierheilkunde, 1868, p. 363, 

 etc.), decidedly inclines to this idea. He draws attention to the fact, 

 that in calf-fever there is always hyperaemia (?) of the intestines. This 

 primary hypercemia directly causes brain anaemia. Calf-fever might, 

 therefore, be looked upon as " parturient shock." We will not attempt 

 to deny that such cases occur, but they do not as a rule ; added to which, 

 it is probable that this abundance of blood in the intestines in calf-fever 

 is looked upon as symptomatic of paralysis, which first originates from 

 brain anasmia, resulting from lessened stimulation of the vaso-motor 



* In rabies in the Horse, this appearance is often present in the highest degree. There is extreme 

 distension of the portal system, with marked anasmia of the brain. 



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