160 DISEASES OF THE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS 



hind parts and unconsciousness. Decubitus develops very 

 rapidly. 



Diagnosis. — Puerperal septicemia might be confused with 

 parturient paresis. However, it may be distinguished from 

 the latter by the local swelling of the genital organs, vaginal 

 discharge, high fever, and absence of pronounced muscular 

 paralysis. Puerperal septicemia clinically very closely re- 

 sembles sapremia due to retained placenta. In some cases 

 a differentiation cannot be made until after the uterus has 

 been cleaned of its putrid contents and disinfected. In 

 sapremia the patient rapidly recovers once the cause is 

 removed. 



Course. — Puerperal septicemia is very often fatal, death 

 occurring within three or four days, or in some instances 

 within a single day. Recovery may occur in one or two weeks. 

 In some cases the patient is left in a state of chronic pyemia 

 which leads to emaciation, intermittent fever, chronic vaginal 

 discharge, and purulent endometritis (pyometra). If second- 

 ary abscesses develop in organs, such as the lungs, kidneys, 

 udder, joints, etc., the course is prolonged. In horses pur- 

 pura may be a sequela. 



Prognosis. — Prognosis is generally unfavorable, 70 per cent, 

 of the patients dying in the acute attack or from resultant 

 complications. 



Treatment. — Treatment consists in a thorough disinfection 

 of the uterus and vagina with a solution of lysol or creolin 

 (2 per cent.). In the mare bichlorid of mercury (1 to 1000) 

 may be employed. The general symptoms, such as fever and 

 weakness, may be combated 'symptomatically with alcohol 

 and veratrin (gr. ij). 



Prevention. — Prevention consists in having all obstetrical 

 instruments, ropes, and the hands of the operator disinfected 

 before attempting to assist in delivery. 



PARTURIENT PARESIS. MILK FEVER. 



Definition. — A non-febrile disease of cattle, swine, and goats 

 occurring at or following parturition and characterized by 

 general paralysis and usually unconsciousness. 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



