MILK FEVER— DROPPIN G AFTER CALVING. 401 



of complete atony. Aconitum and chamomilla are useful when the 

 milk is slow in making its appearance ; arnica, when the labor has 

 caused the animal to suffer much ; and nux vomica, when the lum- 

 bar region afterwards appeared much weakened. 



BLEEDING (fLOODING) FROM THE WOMB. 



This, although rarely, may follow natural parturition. It is oftener 

 seen when the uterus has been wounded in the forcible extraction of 

 the calf, and it still more frequently follows the long retention and 

 mechanical separation of the after-birth. The application of cold to 

 the loins will be most serviceable in this case. A pound of nitre 

 should be dissolved in a gallon of water, and the loins and bearing of 

 the cow kept constantly wet by means of cloths dipped in the solution. 

 The water yielded by the melting of ice mixed with salt may be 

 used, being colder, and therefore more effectual. The cow may 

 drink cold water, and in any quantity that she may be inclined to 

 take, and large doses of opium (two drachms every second hour) 

 should be administered. The hinder parts of the cow should be ele- 

 vated, in order that the blood may be retained in the womb, and 

 coagulate there. She should be kept perfectly quiet, and the calf 

 not permitted to suck. There are few haemorrhages from the womb, 

 except those produced by absolute rupture of it, which will not 

 yield to this treatment. 



Homceopathic treatment. — Give arnica internally ; throw injections 

 of arnica water into the womb, and give china to combat debiUty 

 from loss of blood. 



MILK (puerperal) FEVER DROPPING AFTER CALVING. 



Although parturition is a natural process, it is accompanied by a 

 great deal of febrile excitement. The sudden transferring of pow- 

 erful and accumulated action from one organ to another — from the 

 womb to the udder — must cause a great deal of constitutional dis- 

 turbance, as well as liability to local inflammation. 



The cow, after parturition, is subject to inflammation of some of 

 the parts the functions of which are thus changed : it is mere local 

 mflammation at first, but the system speedily sympathizes, and pu- 

 erpeal fever appears. It is called dropping after calving, because it 

 follows that process, and one of the prominent symptoms of the com- 

 plaint is the loss of power over the motion of the hind limbs, and 

 consequent inability to stand. In a great number of cases, loss of 

 feeling accompanies that of voluntary motion ; and no sense of pain 

 is evinced, although the cow is deeply pricked in her hind limbs. 



There are few diseases which the farmer dreads more, and that 

 for two reasons ; the first is, that the animal now labors under a 

 high degree of excitement, and every local inflamraf.tion, and par- 

 ticularly near the parts in which the sudden change of circulation 



