PARTURIENT PARESIS 303 



observed by many veterinarians in some parts of Gelderland 

 (Holland), and also by myself. 



Guillebeau and Hess look upon this necrosis as a conse- 

 quence of the continuous compression of the arteria femoris 

 profunda during the preliminary and expulsive period. 



A complication, setting in six to ten days after the animal 

 shows already signs of improvement, is gangrene of one pos- 

 terior extremity. Some veterinarians in Holland observed it, 

 and Thomassen first described it in the Rec. de med. vet. of 

 August 15, 1889. The first symptoms are a swelling above the 

 claws. After two days the cleft is moist and a fetid brown 

 fluid appears all around the coronet. Soon a line of demarca- 

 tion forms above the fetlock around the lower extremity of the 

 metatarsus. The peripheral parts have undergone dry 

 necrosis. Dry necrosis of the teats (mummification) is also 

 seen occasionally. 



As sequels, are occasionally observed : Paralysis of the 

 oesophagus, ischiatic nerve, paralysis of one fore leg, which 

 soon atrophies, and, very rarely, paralysis of the optic 

 nerve. 



A very disagreeable complication is the foreign body 

 pneumonia. It often follows administration of medicines, but 

 also regurgitation of gastric contents at a time when paralysis 

 of the oesophagus and pharynx have not yet entirely dis- 

 appeared. 



Prognosis. — The sooner the disease sets in after birth, the 

 more intense the symptoms become within a few hours, the 

 more unfavorable the prognosis. The prognosis is also un- 

 favorable when the disease sets in before or during parturition. 

 Those six cases mentioned in my statistics terminated fatally. 



Paralysis of the soft palate and complete unconsciousness 

 are unfavorable symptoms from a prognostic point of view. 

 The return of the lacteal secretion and defsecation (the latter 

 not always) are often the first indications of improvement. 

 Gangrene of the extremities demands immediate slaughter. 

 The rate of mortality in this disease is very great. Statisticians 

 give a rather high percentage ; for instance : Franck, 40 per 



