PARTURITION FEVER, 



399 



troubles of circulation. First of all, the expression eclampsia, 

 adopted by Franck, is not suitable. Eclampsia is a form of spasm; 

 it consists essentially of convulsions or true epileptiform attacks ; 

 from a certain point of view it might be considered as an acute 

 epilepsy. In veterinary practice it is only observed in nursing 

 bitches, and clinically it constitutes a morbid state which is quite 

 the opposite of the paralytic vitulary fever of the cow. (See 

 Eclampsia of the Dog in the section on Nervous Diseases.) Puer- 

 peral eclampsia in woman is also marked by convulsive attacks 

 which last a few minutes and are separated by comatose intervals. 

 These attacks are most frequently seen in primipara immediately 

 after labor; at times they are dependent upon a uremic state (ne- 

 phritis). On the other hand, paralytic vitulary fever consists 

 essentially in a paralysis the duration of which is often quite long, 

 and which happens ordinarily a few days after delivery, and most 

 frequently in cows which have already had several parturitions. 

 (According to Haycock, the predisposition to the disease is said to 

 be more marked at the fifth calving.) 



The pathology of parturient fever, as explained by Franck, does 

 not seem to us to be sustainable. Anemia and encephalic œdema 

 are not only marked by different symptoms from those of parturient 

 fever, but these morbid states lead rapidly to death. If we admit 

 that vitulary fever is dependent upon cerebral oedema it is not pos- 

 sible to explain the sudden resolution quite frequently observed in 

 this affection, nor the cases happening ante-partum. This theory 

 is especially weakened, however, by the fact that an interval of 

 several days sometimes exists between the parturition and the onset 

 of the disease, whereas the circulatory troubles, if any are produced, 

 should appear immediately after delivery. 



The insufficiency of Franck's doctrine has led us to seek another 

 explanation of paralytic vitulary fever. We have drawn upon the 

 Schmidt-Miihlheim theory, of which we have accepted the principle, 

 as pointed out in the first edition of this work. If our opinion — 

 to which negative facts have been advanced in opposition — deserved 

 many criticisms, yet it is as good, if not better, than all the diverse 

 statements which have been put forth in its stead. At the present 

 time we do not think we ought to modify it; rather we would point 

 out that recent discoveries as well as certain monographs (Bass^ 

 Stube) strengthen and confirm its accuracy. Experimental poison- 

 ings by ptomaines determine symptoms of striking resemblance to 



