676 PATHOLOGY OF PARTURITION. 



Previous to doing so, however, we must draw attention to the position 

 of the affected animal, and we cannot do this in better terms than those 

 of Williams {Principles and Practice of Veteri?iary Aledicine, p. 418) : " If 

 the Cow is already down when first seen by the practitioner, his first care 

 must be to see that she is made to lie as near the natural position — on 

 the sternum — as possible ; and this he will do by having her packed up 

 at the side by bundles of straw, or, what is better, sacks filled with straw, 

 firmly wedged under the quarter and shoulder, the head at the same time 

 being properly propped by the same means, and care being taken at all 

 times that the Cow is prevented from injuring her head by striking it 

 against hard bodies." We may add that some practitioners are particu- 

 larly careful to have the head well raised above the other parts of the 

 body, especially when the animal is comatose ; and this is sometimes 

 effected by means of a halter on the head, or a rope round the base of 

 the horns, the other end being passed over a beam in the stable. This 

 elevation of the head prevents increased congestion of the brain, and 

 facilitates the return of blood from that organ. 



It is often beneficial to alter the position at intervals — every two or 

 three hours ; and Williams recommends that the mammary gland be 

 also " stripped and hand-rubbed." 



The abstraction of blood has found much favor with many authorities. 

 Williams says : " In the earlier stages, whether the animal is standing 

 or lying prostrate and in a state of coma, if the pulse be not exces- 

 sively weak and the heart's action almost fluttering, recourse must be 

 had to venesection. Slow and deep breathing, with a tendency to ster- 

 tor, add greatly to the necessity for immediate bleeding. The beneficial 

 action of the withdrawal of blood is shown by the pulse becoming fuller, 

 stronger, and better in tone. The opening into the jugular is to be a 

 large one, in order that the blood may flow freely to relieve the conges- 

 tion — to check, if possible, a further extravasation of blood or effusion 

 of serum, and to divert its active flow into the head ; but it must not be 

 carried out so as to debilitate the heart's action. When the pulse be- 

 comes fuller and stronger, the bleeding is to be stopped ; from three to 

 five quarts will generally be sufficient." 



Theoretically, venesection is to be commended. If we accept Franck's 

 opinion that the disease is analogous to or identical with the eclampsia of 

 woman, and if the Traube-Rosenberg theory be correct, then a sudden 

 depletion of the vascular system, by which the pressure is diminished, 

 must stop the attack. It is known from experience, says Schroeder, that 

 after venesection the quantity of the blood soon becomes the same, 

 through the serum taken from all the tissues, whilst the quality is greatly 

 deteriorated by the abstraction of blood. A short time after venesec- 

 tion, we shall expect to find the former blood-pressure in the arterial sys- 

 tem, but the blood far more watery than previously. From this theoret- 

 ical consideration, it follows that abstraction of blood, if the above-men- 

 tioned conditions really cause convulsions, must be attended by an im- 

 mediate favorable result, and under certain circumstances the whole dis- 

 ease may surely be cut short by it. But if all other conditions remain 

 the same, the blood-pressure will, after some time, again reach its pre- 

 vious height ; the quality of the blood has, in the mean time, been greatly 

 deteriorated, and consequently the danger of the disease will be in- 

 creased. 



Williams adds : " The bleeding is for the purpose of removing pres- 



