THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 393 



fessor Williams, with proper respect. These professors 

 considered the disease a disorder of the sympathetic 

 nervous system. Many considerations tend to render 

 this view most probable. In the ox, and especially 

 the milch cow, this system is most highly developed. 

 Alimentation, lactation, and utero-gestation, are under its 

 direct control, and its influence is especially appreciable 

 in the various secretory processes. At parturition, when 

 the act is rapidly accomplished, undoubtedly a large 

 excess of blood is thrown upon the system ; the effects 

 are the same as when a flux of long standing is suddenly 

 stopped — either some excretory organ exerts its powers of 

 vicarious action, or there is sudden increase in blood 

 pressure, and congestions and apoplectic lesions take place. 

 Normally, the mammary gland becomes very active, and 

 removes the excess of nutritive blood constituents, while 

 watery matters and salines are also removed by the 

 other excretory organs. If any influences lead to imper- 

 fection of this safety-valve action congestions and apo- 

 plexy take place. That the functions presided over by 

 the sympathetic gangliated cord are not duly performed 

 is evident in parturient apoplexy. The sudden loss of 

 milk, retention of urine, torpidity of the bowels, and loss 

 of power of deglutition, are proofs of this. But the next 

 question is as to what has brought about this disorder ? 

 We must answer this by saying that the violent throes 

 which were necessary for the rapid expulsion of the foetus 

 depended on excessively violent nervous efforts, which so 

 exhausted the sympathetic system as not to admit of its 

 recovery until apoplectic mischief has been done by the 

 method above described. With the present state of phy- 

 siological knowledge of the sympathetic nervous system 

 we are not in a position to reason the matter out more 

 closely, but it is evident that this view is worthy of atten- 

 tion, and some pathologists will find it hard to believe 

 that apoplexy is due to angemic conditions of a part which 

 is found congested after death. The occurrence of coma, 

 delirium, and convulsions is thoroughly explicable, as due 

 to congestion of the brain and spinal cord. The disten- 



