TREATMENT .FOR MILK FEVER 521 



tising saline injection in the toxemias, but recently Levin has found this 

 treatment ineffective in experimentally produced toxemias. Excluding 

 shock and hemorrhage, where heat is invaluable, saline infusions are gen- 

 erally given at the temperature of 103° F. by the rectum, under the skin, 

 or into a vein. 



Kunsel's Treatment for Milk Fever in Cows. 



Following the Schmidt treatment with his intramammary injections 

 of potassium iodide — which was productive of great diminution of the 

 mortality of milk fever, but was often followed by local injury to the 

 udder — M. Kunsel, of Lucerne, in March, 1903, made his first report of 

 the method under discussion. This consists in the following: A tank of 

 compressed oxygen, which can be had of any of the wholesale drug houses, 

 is connected by rubber tubing six feet in length to a milking tube and 

 firmly wired to the nozzle on the tank and to the tube, which should be 

 boiled previous to use. The udder of the cow affected with milk fever 

 should be stripped of milk and thoroughly washed with warm water and 

 soap and the teats cleansed with 70 per cent, alcohol or some other effec- 

 tive antiseptic. The milking tube is then introduced into one of the upper 

 teats and the oxygen gas is allowed to flow slowly into the teat until the 

 corresponding quarter of the udder is tense and well distended. While 

 pinching the teat to prevent the escape of gas, the tube is withdrawn and 

 a strip of bandage or tape is bound about the lower part of the teat to 

 retain the oxygen. The same procedure is repeated in each of the re- 

 maining teats. The ligatures on the teats may be permitted to remain in 

 place for an hour and a half, when they should be removed. The inflation 

 of the udder may be repeated in six hours, if necessary, owing to the non- 

 improvement of the patient. As synergistic measures, the subcutaneous 

 injection of one-half grain of strychnine nitrate, the use of enemata to 

 empty the bowels, and catheterization are important in aiding recovery. 



The animal should also be comfortably propped up with bags of hay. 



If oxygen can not be readily obtained, the use of a bicycle pump con- 

 nected with a milking tube may be employed with much success; the 

 results being probably as good as with the use of oxygen, providing the 

 air is pure which is pumped into the udder. This purity of the air may 

 be attained by blowing the air through a wash bottle containing 2 per 

 cent, carbolic acid solution. 



Very convenient arrangements are now commonly sold at a small 

 price for inflating the cow's udder with air. These consist of a rubber 

 bulb and tubing, a chamber containing sterile cotton (through which 'the 

 air is filtered) and a milking tube for introduction into the teat. They 

 may be used by the laity, and their employment has been as satisfactory 

 as when oxygen was injected. The cow with milk fever should not be 

 milked for ten or twelve hours after inflation of the udder, and only par- 

 tially milked for several days following this titoe. Either emptying the 

 udder of air by rubbing, or of milk by milking, within a few hours of 

 inflation, has frequently led to a renewal of the disease in its worst form. 

 The use of the tape for more than half an hour to retain the injected air 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



