PUERPERAL MANIA 77 



PUERPERAL MANIA 



This is a somewhat rare pathological condition, but 

 occurs frequently enough in cows so that a knowledge 

 of its manifestations is essential. 



Puerperal mania is important in the main because 

 of the possibility of its clinical phenomena being mis- 

 taken for rabies. In itself, in so far as prognosis is 

 concerned, puerperal mania is a benign and very tran- 

 sient disease. 



It is seen in cows nearly always during the last 

 months of pregnancy, or during the first week after 

 calving. An otherwise kind and docile cow becomes 

 suddenly nervous and highly excitable. Within a few 

 hours she becomes violent, well nigh unmanageable. 

 If she is not confined she races about the yard or 

 pasture wildly, bellowing and pawing up the earth. 

 Feces and urine are passed in small quantities every 

 few minutes and there are clonic spasms, or ''rip- 

 plings,*' of various groups of muscles. The animal 

 will assume a wild, menacing attitude; she makes 

 plunges at her own shadows, and will pursue dogs or 

 other animals that intrude on her domain. She is less 

 intent on rushing at human beings; she may threaten 

 to attack but is easily driven off. Her apparent vicious- 

 ness is confined to rushing at objects and other ani- 

 mals ; she does not lay hold of anything with her teeth. 

 When she rests, the conjunctiva is seen to be injected, 

 the eyes are very wide open and prominent; on the 

 whole, the beast has a ^' crazy" appearance. 



The treatment is confined to placing the animal in 

 a spacious yard or other enclosure where she can not 

 easily come to injury while plunging about. The 

 prognosis has to do chiefly with the duration of the 



