456 WEST OF SCOTLAND VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
believed to be phrenetic disease. Circumstances prevented him 
making a 'post-mortem examination, so he was unable to arrive at a 
correct conclusion as to its true nature. The animal’s appetite was 
not impaired ; when made to move, kept turning to the near side, 
and never could be induced to turn in an opposite direction ; after- 
wards experienced great difficulty in going backwards, staggered, 
fell, and made ineffectual efforts to rise ; pain was evinced on 
pressing the right side of the head, accompanied by amaurosis and 
the usual concomitant symptoms of cerebral affections. Bleeding, 
purging, and local remedial measures were applied, but they were 
of no avail. 
Professor Williams gave the history of a similar case, having at 
first a severe attack of colic, which caused the animal to plunge about 
in the box. After this subsided cerebral symptoms supervened. 
The patient had little power to masticate his food, due to debility of 
the muscles of mastication ; the pulse was 69 in number, and very 
feeble, in fact nearly imperceptible ; moved with a staggering gait, 
and kept crossing his legs in walking. His opinion was that con- 
cussion of the brain existed, accompanied by rupture of some small 
cerebral blood-vessel and pressure on the brain by a blood-clot. 
The case, after the usual treatment, ultimately recovered. 
Mr. Maclean had a troop-horse of the Royal Artillery similarly 
affected. After lengthened treatment the animal was destroyed, 
and the 'post-mortem examination revealed calcareous deposits in the 
ventricles, running through the Sylvian fissure, the tumours having 
all the appearance of being connected to each other. 
PUERPERAL FEVER. 
Mr. Pottie found lately puerperal fever to be very prevalent in 
his district, and, from the number of cases he had met with, his 
ideas as to the nature of this affection and its treatment had some- 
what altered. He believed the disease would run its course, and 
that the old system of treatment was entirely erroneous. His pre- 
vious practice was to dose with purgatives and stimulants, and he 
was satisfied in his own mind that he had produced bronchitis 
on more than one occasion, as the muscles of deglutition were fre- 
quently paralysed, particularly in the comatosed stage. He now 
found that to do little was better than to do much, and the more 
simple the treatment the more successful he had been. His treat- 
ment was to administer treacle 2j lbs., chloride of sodium §ij to ^iijj 
every six hours during the day, only if the patient took it without 
much difficulty ; propping up the patient on to her brisket, &c., was 
a great desideratum, for if the cow lay on her side hoven was liable 
to set in. Bloodletting, in the earlier stages, might be recommended, 
but in latter stages it ought to be strongly condemned. Quietude 
was indispensable. 
Professor Williams condemned purgatives in this disease, as the 
intestines were only in a paralysed condition, and would right them- 
selves in time. Had seen it before parturition ; recommended blood- 
letting in the first stage, but to bleed in the latter stage was most 
