266 On Disease of Coics, Iinoion as Dropping after Calving. 
assumes the recumbent position at varying times before calving ; 
but never until the latter period of gestation, when the weight 
of the foetus and the gravid uterus, which for many weeks had 
gone on increasing, had arrived at a stage Avhich the animal is 
unable to sustain. This may happen even a month before calving, 
and although at the commencement of the attack indications of 
febrile action are present, they are not accompanied with coma, 
nor with any of the ordinary symptoms of parturient apoplexy. 
Usually within three or four days the febrile symptoms pass off, 
and the animal is simply the subject of adynamy. She lies, feeds 
well, ruminates, passes the urine and fceces naturally, breathes 
freely, has no decrease of external temperature, nor any in- 
creased pulsatory action of the heart and arteries. 
It is not difficult to understand that the muscles of the 
lumbar region in particular, having to support so great a weight 
as that of a nearly perfected foetus, which, when fully developed, 
we have known to weigh at birth as much as 112 lbs., tire under 
the strain, and lose to some extent their tonicity, as well as 
their active power of natural contraction. We refer these cases 
mainly to such a cause ; and it is easy to understand why cows 
should be affected with adynamy, and mares not, if a glance 
only be taken of the great length and weakness of the loins of 
the cow compared with the mare, besides which the spine has 
to carry the weight of the capacious rumen filled with ingesta, 
together with that of the other stomachs, bowels, liver and 
abdominal viscera, in addition to the gravid uterus. 
Allusion has been made to cases in which paralysis to a 
certain extent does exist ; and it is easy to understand why 
such a complication should exist, by looking to the primary 
cause and consequent diminished jiower of the lumbar muscles. 
Impaired tonicity alone would necessarily be associated with 
weakened nerve force, and may be also with passive congestion, 
to a certain extent, of the lumbar portion of the spinal cord. 
Adynamy in these cases is accompanied with indications of 
febrile action, such as disturbed breathing, increased circula- 
tion, loathing of food, suspension of rumination, constipation 
of bowels, diminished external temperature, and the other usual 
concomitants of pyrexia. The recumbent position is, however, 
often sufficient to lessen the severity of the symptoms ; but when 
not, they usually yield to the exhibition of saline aperients, fol- 
lowed by mild febrifuges, warm clothing of the body, stimulating 
the loins, and well nursing the patient. 
Treatment of a similar kind, but not carried to the same 
extent so far as the exhibition of medicine is concerned, may 
be demanded in those cases in which congestion of the vessels 
of the spinal is not a necessary complication. Attention to 
comfort is the main thing here, and above all it should be 
