PARTURIENT ECLAMPSIA. 68 1 



Cows, however, unless there are special reasons to the contrary, and if 

 they are in good condition, it is often advisable to have them killed for 

 food. 



1. Williams {Op,, cit., p. 414) mentions that a she-Goat had its kids taken away when 

 they were four weeks old, and in an hour afterwards it was completely paralyzed, moan- 

 ing piteously, and evidently in great distress. It remained in this condition for several 

 days — lying extended on its side and quite conscious, but powerless. It then gradually 

 sank and died. 



2. " Veterinarius " ( Veterinarian, vol. xii. p. 288) gives a case of parturient paralysis 

 in a Mare, succeeding abortion. There were at first evident symptoms of metritis. It 

 ultimately recovered. 



3. Toll {Ibid., vol. xxxvii. p. 824) relates a case of parturient apoplexy from which the 

 Cow recovered in three days, but could not reise until ten days afterwards, when it was 

 discovered that one of the hind-limbs was paralyzed. The leg was drawn along, the 

 foot being turned back. In a month extensive ulceration had occurred at the fetlock 

 and hock, and there was a large abcess in the gluteal region. The Cow was eventually 

 killed. 



4. The same writer gives a similar instance, in which paralysis of a hind-limb followed 

 parturient apoplexy. It recovered sufficiently well to walk about at pasture, and yielded 

 a liberal quantity of milk. 



CHAPTER VI. 



Parturient Eclampsia. 



We have seen that Franck has compared the malady we have designated 

 " parturient apoplexy " or " collapse," with the disease known in woman 

 as " eclampsia," and has endeavored to establish their identity. To a 

 certain extent we admit that he has been successful, but we are far from 

 convinced that the eclampsia of woman and the malady of the Cow are 

 identical ; though we do not dispute that the same or similar causes may 

 be in operation in the production of both. In the first place, the eclamp- 

 sia of woman is essentially epileptic or convulsive, the convulsions being 

 of a tonic and clonic nature ; and though, in the disease of the Cow, 

 convulsions are sometimes present, yet they are far from being a constant 

 symptom. 



The symptomatology of the two diseases, indeed, is widely different. 

 In the woman there are premonitory signs — such as uneasiness, headache, 

 nausea, twitchings, sudden vertigo. Then the attack begins by rapid 

 contractions of the muscles of the face, eyelids, and eyeballs : the latter 

 rolling about in their orbits. These movements soon extend to the head, 

 neck, and other parts of the body, and are rapidly replaced by tonic con- 

 traction of all the extensor muscles either of the trunk or limbs. The 

 respiration is stertorous or suspended ; the pulse — at first full and strong 

 — is so weak that it is scarcely perceptible ; the tongue is protruded from 

 the mouth, and often bitten ; foam appears between the lips ; uncon- 

 sciousness is complete. The attack may last for twenty or thirty seconds ; 

 then the tonic convulsions are replaced by those of a clonic kind, pre- 

 ceded by a general state of rigidity. The movements are jerking, and 

 so convulsive that they shake the whole body. The respiration gradu- 

 ally returns, the pulse resumes its natural rhythm ; the jerking of the 

 limbs and body subsides, perspiration appears, and in from one to five 

 minutes all is tranquil ; the comatose condition which supervenes varies 

 in duration, but the patient awakes greatly exhausted, and complaining 



