926 Veterinary Obstetrics 



Harms v^xy properly points out that the peculiar attitude of 

 the cow does not always indicate parturient paresis, but that 

 other diseases, like acute hydrocephalus, spinal myelitis and 

 meningitis, may cause the animal to assume the same position. 

 Harms considers these the only diseases which may be mistaken 

 for parturient paresis, and suggests that puerperal mania, puer- 

 peral fever, simple lumbar paralysis and fracture of the pelvis 

 cannot deceive the scientific veterinarian. Harms points out 

 that in his experience the diagnosis of milk fever may be ex- 

 cluded in those cows which have not calved recently, which show 

 loss of sensation in the hind parts of the body only, or have a 

 normal or elevated rectal temperature. Cows which retain an 

 appetite until they fall, or even after they are down and unable 

 to rise, he does not regard as being affected with parturient paresis. 

 On the other hand, he claims that hydrocephalus may be ex- 

 cluded and milk fever diagnosed if the cow has calved within a 

 few days, if the loss of sensation involves the entire body, if the 

 rectal temperature is sub-normal, and the paralysis is so profound 

 that the animal cannot rise upon its feet even with assistance. 



The relation of calving to the diagnosis of parturient paresis, 

 in our judgment, cannot be relied upon, although it constitutes 

 important evidence. While Harms believes that the disease 

 occurs only after parturition, and we agree with him in the 

 main, we are nevertheless forced to hold, from our personal 

 observation, that the malady is not confined to the post-parturi- 

 ent period, but may rarely occur before or during the act of 

 parturition. The fact that a cow has recently calved does not 

 prevent the occurrence, during this period, of other diseases 

 which may closely simulate parturient paresis. 



Schmidt (American Vet. Review, Vol. 22, 1898) draws atten- 

 tion to the fact that indigestion in the cow may very closely 

 simulate parturient paresis. 



In one case which we observed, a cow went down in the past- 

 ure with what strongly resembled parturient paresis in almost 

 all essential respects, including paralysis, coma, and subnormal 

 temperature, but she had calved six weeks previously. The 

 disease was apparently due to a slight purulent mammitis. It 

 is interesting to note, in connection with this ca.se, that the in- 

 jection of oxygen into the udder apparently led to a complete 



