FIFTIETH ANNUAL CONVENTION 151 



easily recognized. Soon after calving, the cow may exhibit 

 signs of excitement and anxiety, after which constipation 

 and colickly symptoms may be manifest. The owner hay 

 notice a staggering gait, and weakness, especially of the 

 hind quarters. Eventually the cow, no longer able to 

 maintain the standing position, goes down and assumes the 

 posture so characteristic of this disease, with the hind legs 

 extended forward and the head thrown back coward the 

 flank. A comatose condition may ensue, during which there 

 is danger in attempting to administer medicine by the 

 mouth, as the throat muscles are temporarily paralyzed and 

 the material may pass into the windpipe and lungs. Pulse 

 and respiration are weak and the temperature is more fre- 

 quently subnormal than other wise. Death or recovery will 

 occur within two or three days, or even less. 



Prevention may be favored by the following measures. 

 When the cow is dried off prior to calving she should be 

 placed on a light ration of bran and a little oatmeal, sup- 

 plemented with suitable hay and possibly some succulent 

 roots or an occasional feed of silage or beet pulp. She 

 should be houseld in a dry, comfortable, well-ventilated 

 stable, amid sanitary surroundings, properly bedded, and 

 given sufficient and regular exercise daily up to the time 

 of calving. Several days prior to calving she should re- 

 ceive a full dose of Epsom salt. 



Treatment — This consists in the inflation of the quarters 

 of the udder with sterile air and tying the teats with broad 

 tapes until several hours after the animal regains its feet. 

 The operation must be performed with the utmost regard 

 for cleanliness. A clean cloth should be laid beneath the 

 udder, which is then washed clean and sterilized with 5 

 per cent carbolic-acid solution. 



The apparatus consists of a rubber-bellows arrange- 

 ment attached to a rubber tubing, which in turn is connected 

 with a hollow-metal cylinder containing sterile cotton for 

 the filtration of the air. Another rubber tube is attached to 

 the other extremity of the metal cylinder, and at the other 

 end of the rubber tube is the metal teat catheter. The last 

 tube and metal catheter should be thoroughly sterilized by 



