commonly known as Dropping after Calving. 259 
The viscera of the chest are more frequently involved in morbid 
notion ; but the pleura cannot be said to give evidence of true in- 
flammation except under peculiar circumstances. The heart, and 
also the vessels of the lungs, are generally distended with dark- 
coloured blood, as the result of mere passive congestion. 
A most remarkable lesion is not unfrequently met with in the 
windpipe and bronchial tubes, even to their smallest ramifica- 
tions, produced by the presence of ingesta which had found its 
way from the rumen — the first stomach — into the air-passages. 
In the spasmodic eructations which accompany the comatose 
stage of the disease, portions of the contents of the rumen — ^as 
has been stated in the description of the symptoms — are forced 
into the oesophagus, and, ascending into the fauces, pass with 
the tidal air directly into the windpipe. Nothing can more dis- 
tinctly show the amount of coma which is present than this ; 
for the passage of the ingesta from the fauces through the glottal 
opening and larynx is unaccompanied with cough or any imme- 
diate distress on the part of the animal. In such instances 
death results from asphyxia, and it may be added that not only 
ingesta, but even some of the medicine which had incautiously 
been given — without the appliance of the stomach-pump to 
secure its conveyance into the rumen — will not unfrequently 
be found within the bronchial tubes. 
As will be surmised from the foregoing observations, the special 
lesions of parturient apoplexy will be found in the brain and 
spinal cord. The vessels of both the cerebrum and cerebellum 
are turgid with blood, and not unfrequently blood extravasations 
are met with between the membranes of the brain, within its 
ventricles or on its surface. A similar state of the vessels 
will be found in the spinal coi'd, especially in its cervical por- 
tion. Here both the turgescence of the vessels and the extrava- 
sation of blood are often far greater than in the brain itself. 
The sheath of the cord participates in the morbid action, and 
in some instances its vessels, even from the atlas to the lumbar 
vertebrae, will be found engorged with blood. In one remark- 
able case examined several years since we found the spinal 
sheath throughout its full length in such a hyperaemic condition 
that it appeared as if it had been dipped in a deep red dye. In 
this case also softening of the cord itself existed in the lumbar 
region. The animal was attacked twenty-two hours after 
parturition, and survived only about thirty-six hours. She was 
prostrate for a longer time before coma became complete than 
is generally observed in the disease. 
In connection with the lesions of the brain and spinal cord 
mention may be made of a remarkable case which happened to 
a cow of our own. The animal survived the attack for the long 
s 2 
