PUERPERAL FITS. 427 
tarily from her basket, wagged her tail when spoken to, and on the following 
day she was taken in her basket a journey of seventy miles, and afterwards did 
well. No one could be more rejoiced than was her master, who was present 
at, and superintended, the greater part of the proceedings. 
The Beneficial Effect of Ergot of Rye in Dificult Parturition,—The following 
case is from the pen of Professor Dick :— 
“*On the roth instant a pointer bitch produced two puppies: and it was 
thought by the person having her in charge that she had no more, She was 
put into a comfortable box, and with a little care was expected todo well. On 
the next morning, however, she was sick and breathed heavily, and continued 
rather uneasy all the day. 
“On the forenoon of the following day I was requested to see her. I found 
her with her nose dry, breath hot, respiration frequent, mouth hot and parched, 
coat staring, back roached, pulse 120, and a black fcetid discharge from the 
vagina. Pressure on the abdomen gave pain. A pup could be obscurelyfelt; the 
secretion of milk was suppressed, and the skin had lost its natural elasticity. 
_ “*Tepid water with a little soap dissolved in it was immediately injected 
into the uterus, which in a considerable degree excited its action ; and this 
injection was repeated two or three times with the same effect. 
“* After waiting for half an hour the foetus was not discharged nor brought 
forward ; therefore a scruple of the ergot of rye was then made into an infusion 
with two ounces of water, and one-third of it given as a dose; in half an hour 
another one-third of it; the injections of warm water and soap being also 
continued. Soon after the second dose of the infusion a dead puppy was 
expelled ; the bitch rapidly recovered, and, with the exception of deficiency 
of milk, is now quite well. 
“¢This case would seem to prove the great power of the ergot of rye over 
the uterus; but, until more experiments are made, it is necessary to be cautious 
in ascribing powers to medicines which have not been much tried in our 
practice. Itis not improbable that the warm water and soap might have roused 
the uterus into action without the aid of the ergot ; and it is therefore necessary 
that those who repeat this experiment should try the effects of the medicine 
unaided by the auxiliary.’ 
“The Professor adds, that the great power which this drug is said to have 
on the human being, and the apparent effect in the case just given, suggest the 
propriety of instituting a further trial of it, and of our extending our observa- 
tions to cattle, amongst which difficult cases of calving so frequently occur. 
“ Mr, Simpson thus concludes some remarks on ergot in difficult parturition : 
—‘This medicine possesses a very great power over the uterus, rousing its 
dormant or debilitated contractility, and stimulating it to an extra performance 
of this necessary function after its natural energy has been in some measure 
destroyed by forcible but useless action. The direct utility of the ergot was 
manifested in cases where the uterus appeared quite exhausted by its repeated 
efforts; and certainly it is but fair to ascribe the decidedly augmented power 
of the organ to the stimulus of the ergot, for no other means were resorted to 
in order to procure the desired effect, Its action, too, is prompt, Within ten 
iuinutes of the administration of a second or third dose, when nature has been 
nearly exhausted, the parturition has been safely effected.’ 
“ Puerperal Fits.—Nature proportions the power and resources of the mother 
to the wants of her offspring. In her wild undomesticated state she is able to 
suckle her progeny to the full time ; but in the artificial state‘in which we 
have placed her we shorten the interval between each period of parturition, 
