352 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 



ease was not congestion of the brain and spinal 

 cord. I then took up the nervous theory, and was 

 supported by the following facts: First: The cows 

 which became affected with this malady are near- 

 ly all very fat and flabby, while in some, few cases 

 the animals are very thin and weak. Such ani- 

 mals are barely able to cope with the violent strain 

 and nervous exhaustion which take place at this 

 period. Second: The season of the year most 

 fruitful of this disease is in the warm, enervating 

 weather of the spring and early summer, when 

 the grasses are soft and succulent, which increases 

 the flabby condition of the already too soft ani- 

 mals. Taking these facts into consideration, I 

 changed the treatment from bleeding, sedatives, 

 violent purging, and applying ice to the head, etc., 

 as directed by most veterinary writers (I do give 

 purgatives still, but merely to assist in moving the 

 bowels when the animal gets over the attack), to 

 powerful stimulants from the earliest stage of the 

 disease, or whatever time I may first see the ani- 

 mal and the disease has not been too far advanced, 

 and now I never lose a case of the so-called very 

 fatal disease. 



Symptoms: The symptoms of this disease are 

 characteristic. In the early stage (which is gen- 

 erally a few hours after calving) the animal will be 

 noticed shifting its weight from one hind leg to 

 the other. This she does continually, and if made 

 to move will show weakness in the hind quarters, 

 and if forced to walk will fall, but may be able 

 to regain her feet with difficulty. In a short time 



