3i6 Veterinary Medicine. 



be kept on her breast bone with the head elevated even if it 

 should be necessary to pack her around with straw bundles or to 

 suspend the head by a halter. Ikying on her side is liable to 

 develop bloating, regurgitation- from the paunch, and inhalation 

 bronchitis, or pneumonia. 



The almost invariable result of the treatment is that in two to 

 two and a half hours the cow gets on her feet, the bowels move 

 freely, urine is discharged copiously, and water and food are 

 taken, indicating a resumption of the normal nervous functions. 

 If in two hours the patient is not on her feet, nor looking brighter 

 and more intelligent, if she has passed no manure and urine, and 

 if the injected air has been absorbed, leaving the udder less tense, 

 the injection of the bag may be repeated under the same 

 scrupulous antiseptic precautions as at first. This may be re- 

 peated later if necessary. In all cases, but especially in severe 

 ones, it is well to keep close watch of the cow for twenty-four 

 hours, and if there is any indication of a relapse to repeat the 

 treatment by udder distension. 



Complications must be met according to their nature. Bloat- 

 ing may require puncture of the rumen, evacuation of the gas 

 and the introduction of ammonia solution or other antiseptic. 

 Inhalation of food-materials may demand antiseptic inhalants, or 

 even solutions, but is very liable to prove fatal. l/csions of the 

 back or limbs may require appropriate treatment. Congestions 

 or infections of the udder may require active antiseptic injections 

 (2 per cent solution hydrogen peroxide, iodoform, creolin) in such 

 amount as will not diminish the mammary tension. Complications 

 affecting the womb, bowels, brain or other organ must be dealt 

 with according to indications. 



The economic value oif the new treatment is almost inestimable. 

 In the past milk fever has been the bane of the best dairy herds, 

 and of the best cows in such herds, of those which, if preserved, 

 would have brought offspring capable of increasing the general 

 yield by 50 or 100 per cent. Thus by this disease the maximum 

 value was continually being cut down, the survivors, the ances- 

 tors of future herds, being mainly the less valuable, the less pro- 

 ductive and the less remunerative. When, however, we can 

 guarantee the recovery of even the most strongly predisposed cow 

 from milk fever, we preserve the phenomenal milker for a long 



