648 PATHOLOGY OF PARTURITION. 



cerebral arachnoid membrane, which he attributed to hyperaemia. In 

 1853, Noquet attributed the congestion of the trisplanchnic nerves and 

 cerebro-spinal nervous system which he constantly found, to plethora, 

 engorgement of the stomach, and intensity of the milk-fever. 



For Sanson,! the collapsus of parturition is the consequence of a 

 sudden disturbance in the physiological condition of the uterus after 

 parturition, consisting in the abrupt removal of blood which congested 

 the organ at that time ; as during gestation a large portion of that 

 fluid is diverted towards the pelvic region, where the uterus is lodged. 

 After parturition the mucous membrane and cotyledons of the organ 

 have lost their function, and the enormous quantity of blood they con- 

 tained is suddenly thrown into the circulation, surcharges the neigh- 

 bouring vessels beyond measure, and produces collapse ; this diversion 

 of the blood is greatly favoured by cutaneous chills. In proof of this, 

 at the autopsies he made, Sanson affirms that the mucous membrane 

 and cotyledons were always found bloodless, and of a pale-yellow 

 colour. 



This theory has much analogy to that of Franck, which will be 

 alluded to presently. In 1858, Ayrault believed that the cerebro- 

 spinal congestion was brought about by the direct action of cold on 

 the uterus, from which the blood was repelled. Felizet, in 1866, 

 advanced the theory that this congestion was the moral result of 

 removing the Calf from the Cow immediately after parturition. Pro- 

 fessor Violet is satisfied that an easy birth suddenly diminishes the 

 intra-abdominal blood - pressure, which aifects the heart so much 

 during pregnancy, and to which it and other organs have to accom- 

 modate themselves. Birth taking place rapidly, the heart continues 

 to act in a fashion to which the bloodvessels, particularly the capillaries, 

 are not accustomed, so that they gradually become distended, and 

 finally congested ; hence ruptures and haemorrhages may occur, and a 

 fatal termination. Others — among them Deneubourg — trace the com- 

 mencement of the disease to milk-fever, the intensity of which, 

 originated by a rapid and easy delivery, is in proportion to the develop- 

 ment and secretory power of the mammae. The resulting disturbance 

 is spread over the entire economy, and favoured by the repletion of 

 the stomach and the pre-existing plethora — suddenly increased by the 

 mass of blood which goes to the uterus during pregnancy — as well as 

 by the state of the nervous system in general which the pains of labour 

 have induced, excites grave disturbance in the important functions of 

 digestion, circulation and innervation. Hence arise disorders as much 

 more sudden and serious as the repletion of the stomach and the 

 plethora are great ; the blood is rich and plastic, and the irritability 

 of the nervous system — especially the ganglionic — is excited. Con- 

 sequently, there is a general functional disturbance resulting from the 

 "congesting" action of all the cerebro-spinal and trisplanchnic or 

 ganglionic nerves. 



Some have considered the disease to be essentially an encephalitis, 

 myelitis, meningo- cephalitis, or a cerebral or medullary apoplexy, 

 according to the character or seat of the lesions found after death. 

 But some of these opinions are opposed by the fact that many of the 

 lesions on which they are based are seldom observed, and that the 

 recovery of affected Cows is often very rapid. 



1 Journal de Veterinaii-es du Midi, 1854. 



