THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 357 



rectum and the hard-baked dung cleared out, and, if necessary, the 

 catheter passed and the urine removed. 



584. When coma sets in no attempt should be made to force 

 anything down the animal's throat, as there is great danger of its 

 passing down the windpipe on to the lungs and producing congestion, 

 or perhaps a fatal lung affection. Subsequent treatment must be 

 adapted to the progress of the case. If in the course of from twelve 

 to twenty-four, or even thirty-six hours, the patient begins to show 

 signs of returning consciousness by holding the head up, pricking 

 the ears, and looking round, it should be offered a few mouthfuls of 

 cold water, bran or hay-tea. After a little while it will attempt to 

 rise to its feet, and evince a desire for food by eating the bedding, 

 while the secretion of milk returns. When this takes place nothing 

 more is required but nursing the cow for a few days. A small 

 quantity of milk should, however, be removed at intervals of from 

 six to eight hours. I do not agree with continually drawing off the 

 milk as fast as it is secreted, and therefore recommend leaving some 

 in the udder to stimulate further secretion. Frequent hand rubbing 

 is also of very great service as a stimulant to the gland. 



585. Terminations. — In many cases, after the apoplexy has passed 

 off, and the secretion of milk has returned, the animal may be feed- 

 ing and chewing the cud, yet it cannot get up. In some instances 

 the patient recovers the use of its limbs in the course of from three 

 days to three weeks, or it may linger on for six or seven weeks, 

 having to be turned from side to side four or five times in the day. 

 In other cases, although it regains the use of the fore-limbs, the hind 

 ones remain paralyzed, and the animal is consequently sold to the 

 butcher. Again, according to the severity of the attack, the case 

 may terminate fatally in six or eight hours, or it may linger on in a 

 comatose condition for several hours. If the patient gets into a 

 relaxed condition, settles flat down into the bed, and seems to lose 

 all tone of the muscles, has the hind-legs wide apart, sits on the 

 hocks, the points of which stick out below the rump-bone, breathes 

 heavily, puffs at the cheeks, drops the lower jaw, and shows no 



