VETERINARY OBSTRETRICY. 
25 
or first stomach, and there lay dormant ; and that the after doses 
had also fallen into the same stomach (which is, at best, a rather 
inert and inactive organ until stimulated to exertion by proper 
medicinal agents), and then the great quantity of blood that had 
been drawn from her in so short a time had rendered the sto- 
mach and digestive organs still more inactive, and, together with 
the weak state of the cow at the time of being taken ill, had caused 
complete indigestion and constipation; consequently the large quan- 
tity of unwholesome, unnatural, inert, and abominable mass of 
ignorantly prepared rubbish lay dormant and dead,, as it were, in 
the rumen, and caused great sickness; and all these causes working 
together had brought the cow so low that it would be rather diffi- 
cult. to rouse the natural powers and organs to exertion. 
But I said that I would do mv best for the cow if he (the owner) 
would be guided entirely by my directions and advice : so he said 
he would, and I immediately prescribed a strong stimulant, combined 
with a tonic and carminative. I ordered the cow to be well rubbed 
with wisps of straw all over, in order to assist the circulation ; 
and in about an hour after I caused the cow to walk, as well as 
she could, into the yard, to exercise her limbs a little, and cause 
the stimulant, & c. that I had given her to act on the coats of the 
stomach. When she had walked about ten minutes she voided a 
great quantity of liquid faeces, which had a most offensive odour. 
In a short time I ordered her into a loose box again, and to be 
covered with some warm clothing, to have a small quantity of ale 
gruel frequently administered to her, to warm her and stimulate the 
stomach. I also ordered her to have a little fresh air, for the door 
when shut rendered the place almost air-tight ; accordingly a few 
bricks were knocked out of the wall to make a temporary ventila- 
tion. The next morning I saw her, and she was very ill; but the 
pulse was better — the bowels very open — the faeces quite liquid — 
and the poor animal was suffering greatly from the excessive doses 
of nitr. potass, combined with the action of the pulv. cantharidum 
that was in the blistering ointment that had been applied to the 
throat so foolishly, which had affected the circulation through the 
absorbent glands, and was now acting on the urinary organs. It 
was quite pitiful to see the great pain she was in, continually trying 
to void her urine, but could not. I therefore directed the throat to 
be well washed with soap and water, and all the ointment to be 
got off as soon as possible, and when the part was dry to be well 
rubbed with camphorated oil. I also prescribed a slight ammo- 
niacal stimulant over the kidneys, in order to draw the pain away 
as soon as possible, and ordered a dose of stimulating sudorific 
and sedative medicine to be given in warm ale, and to be repeated 
VOL XIX. E 
