PARTURIENT SYNCOPE 81 



dition (1 say allowed to develop it because it can cer- 

 tainly be prevented) is obtained by freqnent vaginal 

 douching with hot water containing just a Irace of 

 fluid extract of belladonna. This in conjunction with 

 strychnin or nux vomica administered internally is 

 rational and quite satisfactory. 



PARTURIENT SYNCOPE 



This term, parturient syncope, I would give to a 

 condition occurring with considerable regularity in 

 cows after calving and for which there has hereto- 

 fore been no generally recognized name. 



It is most commonly seen in cows which have given 

 birth to three or foiir calves, rarely in younger cows, 

 and hardly ever in heifers. It follows both normal 

 and difficult parturition and is apparently not gov- 

 erned by any degree of dystocia or absence thereof. 

 The usual history in these cases is that the cow has 

 been off her feed since she had her calf, a day or two 

 before. In some cases the condition does not become 

 marked until four or five days or even a week after 

 calving. The veterinarian finds the symptoms as fol- 

 lows: 



The patient appears fairly bright ; usually the ab- 

 domen is just a trifle "drawn." The temperature, 

 if not normal, is raised but half a degree or so. This 

 is all, if the doctor has been called in the early 

 stages of the condition, and aside from the fact that 

 the cow refusesx to eat, nothing more is brought out 

 in the examination. Of course, as a consequence of 

 the anorexia, milk secretion is almost absent. If the 

 owner has not called the veterinarian in the early 

 stages, the latter sees a greater variety of symptoms 



