Ptierperal Eclamptie Diseases 913 



spasms, the well-marked trismus, the pirouetting of the eyes, 

 the elevation of temperature, the stormy course and the high 

 mortality. 



Though we usually observe profound coma instead of spasms 

 in the parturient paresis of the cow, this does not prove the non- 

 identity of it with the eclampsia of woman. Tonic and clonic 

 spasms are common in woman, and in some of the domestic ani- 

 mals, from a variety of causes. Coma in some animals, like the 

 horse, is exceedingly rare. In the cow coma is a common symp- 

 tom of disease, and occurs in many maladies. We see it in indi- 

 gestion, especially from over-feeding, in which, in the horse, in 

 man or in carnivora, we might see spasms. We observe coma 

 in the cow as a result of infections from the uterus or udder, and 

 along with these we may meet with a sub-normal temperature, 

 just as we do in parturient parasis. Coma also appears at inter- 

 vals in the eclampsia of woman, and tonic and clonic spasms ap- 

 pear in the parturient paresis of the cow. The difference in 

 symptoms is not basic, but rather a question of preponderance of 

 spasms as related to coma, or vice versa, in the different patients. 



In one instance we observed a cow in which the general symp- 

 toms of eclampsia were present a few hours after easy parturi- 

 tion. The pupils were dilated, the eyes were rolled, there was 

 grinding of the teeth with frothing at the mouth, there were 

 clonic spasms, especially of the head and neck, and a general 

 disturbance of consciousness, so that the animal looked and acted 

 as if temporarily insane. The condition lasted for about two 

 hours, when the symptoms passed into those of ordinary parturient 

 paresis, with the profound coma and sub-normal temperature. 



In other instances of parturient paresis we have observed some- 

 what similar, though less marked eclamptic symptoms in the 

 earlier stages, but these have quickly passed into the character- 

 istic symptoms of paresis. 



While our knowledge of eclampsia in woman and in the do- 

 mestic animals remains so imperfect as at present, with our 

 equal want of knowledge as to the nature of the parturient pare- 

 sis in the cow, it is impossible to determine precisely what rela- 

 tion they bear to each other. It would appear from the fore- 

 going that, until some positive knowledge as to the actual causes 

 of these diseases is obtained, they should be considered as con- 

 stituting one great group dependent upon the same general 

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