558 Diseases occurring after Parturition in Cows and Sheep. 



sometimes sufficient lesions to be found which may be taken as 

 evidences of the nature of the disease : occasionally the blood- 

 vessels of the dura mater, or membrane investing the brain and 

 lining the bones of the skull, will be found to contain a larger 

 quantity of dark-coloured blood than usual ; this appearance will 

 extend to the portion covering the medulla oblongata, or com- 

 mencement of the spinal marrow, but no farther. 



The vessels of the lungs are often inordinately filled with blood ; 

 the cavities of the heart will also be found to contain large quan- 

 tities of dark-coloured fluid blood. In some cases the liver is in 

 a state of congestion, the gall-bladder may contain more or less 

 bile, the thickness of which is mostly in an inverse ratio to the 

 quantity. The rumen, or first stomach, is invariably found to 

 contain a large quantity of food in an undigested state : the 

 second stomach will also contain food ; and here, too, the greater 

 portion of the fluids taken after the commencement of the disease 

 will be found : the contents of the third stomach are generally 

 dry and hard ; the lining membrane of all three is easily separable 

 from the subjacent tissue, and appears of a purple hue : the 

 fourth, or true digestive stomach, will contain but little ingeste ; 

 if any medicine have been administered, some of it will be found 

 in this stomach ; the lining membrane will be thickened and of a 

 scarlet hue, and this appearance will extend several inches along 

 the commencement of the intestines, and frequently for some 

 little distance beyond this the intestine will be deeply stained with 

 bile. Throughout the remaining course of the small intestines no 

 trace of food will be found, but here and there they will be con- 

 tracted as though from an attack of spasm, while in other parts 

 the mucous lining membrane, and even the peritoneal covering, 

 will present a similar appearance to the fourth stomach ; occa- 

 sionally some faecal matter will be contained in the large intes- 

 tines, but more frequently they also are empty, even to their ter- 

 mination at the anus ; the bladder may or may not contain urine, 

 but the viscus itself generally presents a healthy appearance. 

 The last organ to be noticed is the uterus, and seldom indeed is 

 it that any trace of disease can here be found : according to the 

 time that has elapsed, so will be the appearances of recent deli- 

 very ; the cotyledons are more or less absorbed, generally pre- 

 senting a brownish hue, and some little fluid will be found con- 

 tained in the cavity. From the varied symptoms during life, and 

 uncertain appearances after death, it is little to be wondered at 

 that, even in the present day, some difference of opinion prevails 

 among the members of the veterinary profession as to the primary 

 seat of this disease. 



The treatment next comes under consideration. If an animal 

 be found suffering from the disease in its earliest stage, or before 



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