490 
ON PUERPERAL FEVER IN THE COW. 
attendance on cattle as to justify a systematic neglect of this 
branch of study during the time afforded for an attainment of vete- 
rinary knowledge. 
The hope of myself reaping some advantage from the discussion 
on this essay, and the being willing to join in the noble object con- 
templated by this society, namely, a diffusion of veterinary know- 
ledge, are motives that have induced me to appear before you, 
regretting, nevertheless, that no one abler than myself has under- 
taken the subject, confessedly one of the most abstruse, yet the 
most interesting, on veterinary record; for there are few or no dis- 
eases affecting any class of our patients which, for suddenness of 
attack, rapidity of termination, or peculiarity of symptoms, can be 
compared with what is called puerperal fever in the cow. 
It is a disease occurring from within a few hours to three days 
of calving, speedily involving an abolition of motion, sensation, 
and special sense, and ultimately a cessation of the true spinal and 
ganglionic functions — all these, nevertheless, denoted by few or 
no very evident premonitory symptoms. 
Previously to entering upon the immediate subject of the essay, 
I hope to be indulged with a few observations relative to the name 
of this disease, as I consider it improperly descriptive of those 
symptoms to which it is usually applied. 
What is commonly termed puerperal fever, I, with many others 
of the profession, consider to be an affection of the nervous sys- 
tem, and not, as in the human subject, consisting primarily of peri- 
toneal inflammation. Still, I am free to acknowledge that peri- 
toneal and uterine inflammation do occur in the cow, and that the 
appellation, if limited to such only, would be proper; yet why 
apply it, as is continually done, to inflammation, not only of those 
parts, but of the brain, the lungs, and the bowels, merely because 
occurring near the time of calving] 
There is also another affection to which cows are liable at this 
period, bearing in its symptoms considerable similarity of the dis- 
ease which we are about to consider, yet totally different in patho- 
logy : this is almost invariably called “ puerperal” fever. It con- 
sists merely in inability to rise, or to properly use the hind extre- 
mities, depending generally upon weakness of the system. It is 
accompanied by little fever, and no coma or other symptom of 
cerebral disorder. These cases mostly recover under good nursing, 
external and internal stimulants, aperient aromatics, &c. 
This indiscriminate classification of many diseases occurring 
soon after calving under the general term puerperal fever, has 
given rise to endless discrepancy of statement, both with respect 
to treatment and post-mortem appearance ; one stating that there 
is inflammation of the bowels, uterus, lungs, &c. ; another finding 
