ECLAMPSIA 261 



of the brain may be caused directly from the mammary ghmds. Fried- 

 berger has observed two bitches that had echimpsia without having 

 puppies. 



Clinical Symptoms. — The disease may appear in from forty-eight 

 hours to thirty days after whelping; very rarely later than this time; in 

 the majority of cases appearing at or about four weeks. In one case of 

 Friedberger's fifty days elapsed. It comes on suddenly without any 

 marked symptoms. The aninuils become restless and anxious; they have 

 a staring expression of the eye, short, rapid respiration, reddened mucous 

 membranes; they show no pain on pressure on the walls of the chest, neck, 

 or abdomen. After a short time (about a quarter of an hour after the 

 appearance of increased respiration) they become paralyzed, are no longer 

 able to stand on their feet, and remain for some time with their legs 

 stretched from them. A slight increase of temperature has been observed 

 in several instances at the onset of the disease. The dog lies on her side 

 with her legs firm and tense; the muscles of the body hard and quivering 

 to the touch; the joints are stiff and hard to bend; and at intervals we see 

 clonic convulsions of all the muscles, especially those of the extremities, 

 and the respiratory muscles are especially involved. The respirations 

 become more rapid as a consequence of this, and finally the mouth is opened 

 and the tongue protrudes, while the animal breathes with great difficulty. 

 The pulse is small, firm, and sometimes irregular, and always cpiick; the 

 e3'es are staring and protruded, and there is an anxious look in the face. 

 All the visible mucous membranes are cyanosed. The saliva which ac- 

 cumulates in the mouth is either swallowed convulsively at certain in- 

 tervals, or, as is generally the case, it dribbles out of the corners of the 

 mouth. As a rule, consciousness is not disturbed. The pupils are normal 

 in size; reflex action is present. The animal seems to notice external ob- 

 jects or impressions, such as calling the patient, or noticing one it knows 

 coming into the room. The appetite is lost; the normal discharges are en- 

 tirely suppressed; although the urine and fseces may be involuntarily 

 voided during the attack; the urine, after such an attack, gives an album- 

 inous reaction. The attack may last for twenty-four hours, but generally 

 varies a little in intensity. If the attack is very acute, the animal falls 

 into a deep comatose condition and dies in about forty-eight hours after 

 the onset of the disease from apoplexy and paralysis, or the cases 

 commence to recover, regain consciousness, and frec^uently make good 

 recoveries. 



Therapeutics. — Taken in time and treated energetically the animal 

 invariably makes a good recovery. The first thing to do is to remove the 

 puppies, and either feed them artificially or get a foster mother for them. 

 Any of the narcotics can be used, and, as a rule, produce good results. 

 Give morphia, 0.002 to 0. 005 gm. of the muriate, diluted with water. 



