DISEASES FOLLOWING PARTURITION. 229 



ment was practiced by bleeding, purging, the increase of peristalsis 

 by eserin or pilocarpin, enemas, cold in the head, coiinterirritants, 

 aconite, tartar emetic, sponging, wet-sheet packing, etc. The gross 

 mortality, however, was not materially reduced, and nearly all that 

 were attacked within the first two days after calving perished. 



The first step in the modern treatment was made in 1897, when 

 J. Schmidt published his successful treatment by the injection of the 

 teats and milk ducts with a solution of iodid of potassium (1^ drams 

 to 1 quart of water). This reduced the mortality to 17 per cent. 

 Others followed this lead by the injection of other antiseptics (lysol, 

 creolin, creosol, chinosol, common salt, etherized air, oxygen). 

 These succeeded as well as the iodid solution. With the injection 

 of gases, however, a fuller distention of the udder was usually 

 secured, and virtually every case recovered. This suggested the full 

 distention of the udder with common atmospheric air filtered and 

 sterilized, and this with the most perfect success. With sterile air 

 Schmidt-Kolding claimed 96.7 per cent recoveries in 914 cases. 



In America the full distention of the udder, whether with oxygen 

 or filtered air, has proved invariably successful in all kinds of cases, 

 including the violent ones that set in within a few hours after calving. 

 In 1 or 2 hours after the injection the cow has got up, had free 

 passages from the bowels and bladder, bright expression of counte- 

 nance, and some return of appetite. In my cases wdiich had made no 

 response for 8 hours to the iodid injection, the injection of the 

 udder to full repletion with the gas (oxygen or air) has had im- 

 mediately beneficial results. A similar full distention of the bag with 

 a common-salt solution (0.5 to 100), or even with well-boiled water, 

 is equally effective, but in these cases the weight of the liquid causes 

 dragging upon the udder and a measure of discomfort which is 

 escaped under the treatment with gas. 



The value of each method depends on the fullness of dis- 

 tention of the udder and the arrest in larger part of the circulation 

 and chemical changes in its tissues. This distention acts like magic, 

 and seems hardly to admit of failure in securing a successful out- 

 come. 



It can not, however, be recommended as absolutely devoid of 

 dangers and serious complications. To get the best results it should 

 be applied only by one who has been trained in the careful antiseptic 

 methods of the bacteriological laboratory. Some readers will recall 

 the case of the injection of the udders of show cows at Toronto to 

 impose upon the judges. The cows treated in this way had the 

 udders infected and ruined, and several lost their lives. There is no 

 better culture medium for septic and other germs than the first 

 milk (colostrum) charged with albumin and retained in the warm 

 udder. Already in the hands of veterinarians even the Schmidt 



