Character of colostrum in parturient paresis. 47 



healthy guinea pigs. In this connection it is of interest to note 

 that it has long been known that human colostrum acts as a mild 

 cathartic on the suckling (Williams, " Obstetrics," 1908, 351-352). 

 Otherwise no bad effects followed the administration of the normal 

 colostrum of the cow to healthy guinea pigs. It will be seen from 

 our results that death invariably resulted in guinea pigs from the 

 intraperitoneal injection of the first, fresh colostrum of a cow in an 

 attack of parturient paresis, and that the post-mortem examination 

 of the organs of pigs that had died from this cause showed the 

 same pathologic degenerations and changes that are shown by 

 the organs of women who have died of eclampsia. Unfortunately 

 but little is known regarding the micropathology of the cow in 

 parturient paresis. We have shown, however, that cows recover- 

 ing from an attack of this disease invariably show a nephritis 

 which may, as the result of repeated attacks, become chronic. 



Our results with the colostrum of a cow suffering from par- 

 turient paresis certainly go to show the presence therein of some 

 substance or substances toxic to guinea pigs, and certainly point 

 to the udder and the mammary glands as the place of origin of the 

 toxins or internal secretions producing parturient paresis and 

 eclampsia respectively. The fact that the urine of the cow with 

 parturient paresis causes such a profound diuresis in the guinea 

 pig, points to the presence of toxic substances even in the urine 

 of animals so affected. A conclusion which is sustained by the 

 results of the post-mortem examination on this particular case. 

 We hope in the near future to attempt the isolation of the par- 

 ticular substance or substances in the colostrum or the udder, 

 responsible for parturient paresis or at any rate, its more careful 

 study and nearer identification. We would, therefore, reserve the 

 right to continue these investigations along the lines indicated 

 above with the object of throwing further light on the nature of 

 the toxine contained in the colostrum of cows suffering from 

 parturient paresis and also the possible occurrence of such a 

 toxine in the colostrum of women suffering from eclampsia, and 

 with the still further object of arriving, if possible, at the precise 

 conditions under which these toxins are elaborated in the udder 

 and mammary glands. 



