738 GENERAL THEEAPEUTIO MEASUEES 



injury to the udder — M. Kunsel, of Lucerne, in Marcb, 1903, 

 taade 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 

 effective 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 teat to prevent the escape of gas, the tube is withdrawn and 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 remaining 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 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 cathe- 

 terization 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 connected with a milking tube may be 

 employed with much success ; some veterinarians claining 

 that the results are as good as with the use of oxygen, pro- 

 viding the air is pure which is pumped into the udder.* This 



* 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 partially milked for several days following this time. 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 to retain the injected air is said to be unnecessary, provided one 

 compresses the teat for a few minutes after inflation. This needs further endorse- 

 ment before general acceptance. 



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