Diseases occurring after Parturition in Coivs and Sheep. 563 



disease is more prevalent, but it may be accounted for from their 

 unsteady and irregular handling in the process of milking. One 

 of the earliest symptoms, but seldom noticed, is a rigor, or shaking 

 fit ; stiffness of the hind leg on the side about to become affected 

 will sometimes precede this ; the pulse then becomes increased, 

 with heat of horns, dryness of the nasal pad, partial loss of appe- 

 tite and rumination ; generally only one quarter of the udder is 

 first attacked, but occasionally two quarters suffer at the same 

 time, and it will sometimes extend to the whole gland ; the affected 

 quarters will be swollen, hot, and painful ; the external skin is of a 

 tense and shining appearance ; the secretion of milk is lessened in 

 quantity, and altered in quality, being thin and watery ; as the 

 local disease progresses it becomes of the consistence of curd, and 

 is with difficulty squeezed out of the teat ; ere this the fever will 

 have become mitigated, or in some cases it will be increased, in- 

 ducing general disturbance of the system, which not unfrequently 

 becomes locally determined to the lungs ; in other cases, lumps of 

 various size will be felt in the substance of the udder, matter will 

 form in the centre of these, which will ultimately force a passage 

 externally, occasionally loss of life will supervene from the 

 absorption of some of this pus by the blood-vessels, it being 

 carried throughout the general circulation, and again deposited, in 

 the form of purulent collections, in other parts of the frame, or in 

 some of the viscera. Mortification and death of some portion of 

 the udder is another termination of this disease : the gland itself 

 becomes of a blue, and the diseased quarters of a dark purple 

 colour ; softening of its substance and sloughing may take place, 

 or, if it proceed unfavourably, the gangrene may extend to the 

 neighbouring quarters, and, the constitution eventually becoming 

 contaminated, a fatal termination attends the case. The most 

 frequent result, however, is loss of the function of the quarter or 

 quarters, from obliteration of the secretory apparatus, by the 

 process of effusion and deposition consequent upon inflammation ; 

 lastly, in some cases, resolution may be accomplished, and a return 

 of healthy function. 



The treatment of this disease will always consist in the ab- 

 straction of blood when there is much acceleration of pulse, and 

 generally in its earliest stage, if the local affection be at all 

 severe. It is a favourite practice with some to effect this evacua- 

 tion from the external abdominal or milk vein, as it is commonly 

 called ; this practice is decried by others, on the ground that the 

 vein does not return the blood from the substance of the gland ; 

 nevertheless it does return to the heart a considerable quantity of 

 blood from the immediate neighbourhood of the udder. The 

 practical rule that may be adopted is, that in all cases where 

 there is present much fever, and general disturbance of the 



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