Diseases occurrincj after Parturition in Cows and Sheep. 559 



she has fallen, the state of the pulse should be ascertained as 

 quickly as possible: this may be felt, as in the horse, at the artery 

 passing over the angle of the lower jaw ; if there be plenty of 

 blood distending the vessel, which may be known by the force 

 with which it pulsates under the finger, the number of beats 

 will be of little moment, but the jugular vein should be imme- 

 diately opened, and from four to eight quarts of blood abstracted, 

 according to the size of the animal ; it will often be necessary to 

 have several men to support her upon her legs during this opera- 

 tion, but perseverance will not unfrequently be rewarded by the 

 prevention of her dropping at all, and her complete and rapid 

 recovery. Should the animal, however, be down before attention 

 is called to her, the propriety of blood-letting will become a 

 matter of anxious consideration. As a general rule it is better to 

 abstain from it, but the state of the pulse will be the guide to the 

 professional attendant : if it be but little quickened, or indis- 

 tinctly to be felt, and the extremities, &c. are cold, or if the 

 animal is in a lethargic state, by no means bleed; but if the 

 pulse range from 70 to 80 in the minute, sharp in its beat, 

 the animal struggling and throwing itself violently about, and 

 more especially if she have but recently dropped, benefit will 

 be obtained by opening the jugular; but the operator must now 

 carefully watch the effect of loss of blood upon the pulse : should 

 it become slower, or if it falter, or miss a beat, let the vein at 

 once be pinned up. Some medicine will in all events next be 

 administered, and this must consist^ of a powerful cathartic ; no 

 other proof need be adduced of the necessity of this beyond the 

 fact that if the animal live long enough for purging to be brought 

 about, recovery with ordinary care is almost the invariable result, 

 and often the more prominent unfavourable symptoms will dis- 

 appear, as if by magic, when purging commences. To the 

 cathartic should be added powerful stimulants in large doses : the 

 first dose, for a strong, fresh, full-sized beast, may consist of two 

 pounds of Epsom salts, with one dram of croton oil for the ca- 

 thartic, and, as stimulants, the ordinary mustard flour and spirits 

 of turpentine, of each from two to three ounces, with one or two 

 ounces of ginger ; or, if there be any preference, an equal quan- 

 tity of sulphur may be substituted for some of the salts, and the 

 stimulants may be varied by the nitric spirits of ether, the aromatic 

 spirits of ammonia, and powdered gentian-root, in doses of two 

 ounces each ; these last, however, are less efficacious than the 

 former, and it must be borne in mind that it may be impossible 

 to administer a second dose, from the great difficulty in swallow- 

 ing about to be noticed. The medicines should be gradually 

 mixed with three or four quarts of tepid water, and then slowly 

 and carefully poured down the animal's throat : this will be a 



