THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 355 



nizable prior to calving, particularly if the cow, owing to the great 

 distension of the udder, has been milked. The first symptom to be 

 noticed is a thoughtful expression of the face, manifested by a peculiar 

 holding up of the head and pointing out of the nose, while the eyes 

 stare right in front ; there is also paddling of the hind-legs and 

 switching of the tail, while the animal staggers about the stall with 

 a spasmodic, rigid twitching of the muscles in the region of the 

 stifles, which seem to be pulled backwards, and, to a certain extent, 

 are beyond control. This is followed by a stage of excitement, 

 when the animal tumbles all over the place — first on to its shoulders, 

 then on to its head ; or it may fall on to its side, and lie with its legs 

 extended, the abdomen distended like a drum, breathing heavily, 

 tossing the head about, rolling the eyes, and finally sinking into a 

 deep coma. In other cases, it may fall on to the breast-bone and 

 belly, roll the head from side to side, and then turn it towards the 

 flank, resting the lower jaw on the ground, and in this position it 

 falls into a comatose condition (Plate LI. t 22), in which state it may 

 remain for many hours. 



583. Treatment. — This was not always as satisfactory as could be 

 wished, depending as it does upon the nature and severity of the 

 attack and upon the age and condition of the patient, while the earlier 

 the attack, the more difficult is its treatment. The normal tempera- 

 ture of the cow ranges from ioo° to 102 , yet in milk fever cases the 

 temperature as a rule falls to 99 or 97 . Should the temperature 

 rise to 104 or 105 , and the animal be very wild and excitable, the 

 abstraction of from 3 to 5 quarts of blood has a beneficial effect. 

 Formerly I used to wash the body all over with several pails of cold 

 water. Then I scraped the animal well down, and applied a sheet 

 wrung out of cold water, over which was put two or three dry woollen 

 rugs, and to cover all, a waterproof. Next a dose of chloral hydrate 

 and bromide of potassium, \ ounce to \ ounce of each, dissolved in 

 cold milk, was given, followed by 2 pounds of castor oil and 2 pounds 

 of treacle in gruel as a drench. Since writing the first edition 

 the treatment of milk fever in cows has undergone a great change. Imme- 

 diately an animal is attacked, under the new treatment all the milk 



