DISEASES FOLLOWING PAETUEITION. 235 



One other precaution may be named applicable to all cases, but 

 especially so to the more distinctly congestive ones. This is to keep 

 the head above the level of the body and prevent injury from the 

 striking of it on the ground or other hard body. The cow is to be 

 packed up with bundles or bags of straw against the shoulders and 

 hips, so as to let her rest on her breast and belly with her limbs 

 under her. Then the head and neck are to be similarly supported, 

 so as to keep them elevated and give them a soft, yielding cushion if 

 dashed from side to side. It may be even desirable to support the 

 head by a rope round the horns, or a halter, the end of which is 

 passed over a beam above. 



New treatment. — Treatment of milk fever has been completely 

 revolutionized^ with the result that a former mortality of 50 to 70 

 per cent has been practically abolished. Formerly the most vigorous 

 treatment was practiced by bleeding, purging, the increase of peri- 

 stalsis by eserin or pilocarpin, enemas, cold to the head, counteririi- 

 tants, 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 modem treatment was made in 1897, when 

 J. Sclimidt 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 usuall}'^ 

 secured, and \drtually 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 fil- 

 tered air, has proved invariably successful in all kinds of cases, in- 

 cluding 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 which 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- 



