656 PATHOLOGY OF PARTURITION. 



impulse, and debility of the heart's action, are results of brain-pressure. 

 If, however, the surface of the body be cold, if the animal be tympanitic, 

 the heart's action fluttering, and the pulse almost undetectable, bleed- 

 ing is calculated to do more harm than good, as the heart's action 

 would now be further impaired, and the amount of arterial blood sent 

 to the brain diminished. For it must be remembered that the cerebral 

 congestion is now less due to an over-abundant supply of arterial blood 

 than to pressure upon it by venous or capillary engorgement ; that, in 

 fact, the brain — engorged as it may seem — is in an anaemic condition in 

 regard to its arterial supply ; and when this is the case, paralysis of the 

 heart is to be prevented, if possible, by the use of stimulants." 



If abstraction of blood is made from the jugular vein, the neck should 

 be constricted as little as possible in " raising" the vessel, and as soon 

 as it is opened the constriction ought to be removed, lest it add to the 

 cerebral engorgement ; indeed, to avoid the risk of this it has been 

 recommended to open the mammary or other superficial veins. 



A principal indication in the treatment of the disease, viewing it in 

 the light we have done, is to favour the cutaneous circulation and stimu- 

 late the shin by every means in our power, and thus relieve those organs 

 in which the blood-pressure is too considerable. With this object in 

 view, the skin is to be well-rubbed with straw wisps, and then warmly 

 clothed. Or the course of the spine and for some distance on each side, 

 may afterwards be stimulated with strong ammonia liniment. Some 

 authorities recommend the application of a mixture of croton-oil with 

 oil of turpentine ; others employ a thick layer of mustard, after the skin 

 has been well cleansed with warm water and the hair removed ; others, 

 again, resort to sacks steeped in boiling water applied to the spine — 

 sometimes after deep scarifications have been made. In addition to 

 the applications of turpentine or mustard to the spine, they are often 

 made to the limbs. 



In some cases, a hot iron — the laundress's flat iron — has been applied 

 to the back in an " ironing" fashion, and at a somewhat high tempera- 

 ture, a piece of flannel being interposed between it and the skin. The 

 action of the skin can be greatly augmented by covering the body with 

 a wet sheet, and above this a thick woollen one, surrounding the animal 

 with plenty of litter. 



Cold water or ice may be applied to the head ; but this application 

 requires care, as the resulting coryzaand other complications may prove 

 very serious, should the animal recover from the collapse. 



But it must be i-emarked that this hydropathic treatment has proved 

 a great success in the hands of some practitioners, who were unsuccess- 

 ful with other methods. Hartenstein and Mauri, ^ for instance, have 

 cured cases which appeared to be hopeless, by first abstracting a quantity 

 (4 kilogrammes) of blood, then placing a wet sheet, folded in four, over 

 the head and along the back, and keeping this constantly drenched with 

 cold water. When the animal began to recover this douching was 

 stopped, the body was rubbed dry and covered with warm rugs. In 

 twenty-four to thirty-six hours recovery was complete without any 

 medicine — another proof in favour of the congestive nature of the 

 disease, and against its being due to sepsin, ptomaines or leucomaines. 



With regard to the tijmjxinitis which is so often present as a conse- 

 quence of the torpidity in the digestive organs, this should be combated 

 in the ordinary way, by the administration of stimulants. These are 

 ^ Revut Vetermaire, June, 1889. 



