KI'ILKI'SIA UTKUIXA. 669 



like an inert mass on the tiround, then rose at once of itx own accorii. Ten ininuteH 

 afterwiinU the eanie (K;currence was again noted — the Cow once more falling and jumping 

 up ; it remained in the excited condition already desciibed. Next day all the alarming 

 syniptoms had subsided ; there was no fever or excitement — nothing except slight weak- 

 ness and prostration. It had fallen a third time on the previous day, then became 

 drowsy, and remaintd lying for about three hours ; after which it arose, apparently (piite 

 well. 



liobellet's father had seen two similar cases. 



Storrar relates tliat, in one of his cases, so savagely did the Cow bite 

 the timber forming the front of its stall, that with one desperate effort 

 it broke all the incisor teeth except one, entirely out of its jaw, and 

 fractured the alveolar processes. Another Cow, some years before, so 

 severely injured the lower jaw that the incisors could not be employed 

 for some time ; though the molars could be used when the food was 

 placed in the mouth. 



Giinther' and Landel- have observed similar cases. They describe 

 the animals as extremely excited and violent, biting everything around 

 them — even people — climbing into the manger, running against the 

 wall, roused to fits of fury at the slightest noise, foaming at the mouth, 

 and sometimes tossing the head and bellowing. The pulse is hard and 

 quick, but the heart's action is weak. 



Cause. 



Rolls thought that, in the case he describes, depriving the animal of 

 its Calf was the cause of the attack ; Harms ascribes the symptoms to 

 chills, which produce brain congestion ; while Storrar looks upon the 

 malady as epileptic, dyspeptic, and uterine. "The animal affected has 

 calved some few days previously — say from four to fourteen, or even 

 more days ; she has been heartily eating iier food ; giving milk very 

 largely, or, more correctly, her milk has been remarkably rich, and 

 throwing up, when left for a time, a very heavy layer of cream ; and the 

 usual uterine lochial discharge has been suppressed. Or the case might 

 be thus stated : An excessive drain upon the system by the mammary 

 glands, causing, perhaps, the suppression of the uterine cleansing, with 

 the peculiar smell about the animal, and more marked in her milk, 

 which is referred to by Mr. Rolls, followed by a more or less severely 

 developed attack of indigestion. These causes act upon the nervous 

 centres, so as to produce the extraordinary excitement which has been 

 described. The dyspeptic signs are the more prominently shown ^such 

 as a desire to eat anything unclean in jjreference to good food, or coarse 

 straw in preference to roots or hay. The bowels beconie torpid, and 

 the supply of milk nearly ceases." 



It is scarcely possible to believe that this condition is due to psychical 

 inrtuences, and it might more correctly be attributed to cerebral irrita- 

 tion from some physical cause^either indigestion, constipation, or 

 deranged circulation in the brain, and related to the parturient state. 



Treatment. 



If indigestion or constipation is present, purgatives should be admini- 

 stered, with stimulant or tonic medicines, according to the indications. 

 When there is much fury or excitement, narcotics in large doses may 

 be given — the best, perhaps, being chloral hydrate. Belladonna might 

 also be very serviceable. Great attention must be paid to the diet. 



' Gthurlxhiilje, p. H.t. 



- Reptrtorlnm dtr Thitrheilkumlt, vol. viii. 



