CASE OF PUERPERAL FEVER. 
265 
master, who had her (the cow) removed to a more commodious 
shed. On reaching it she immediately fell. The owner bled 
her, and then sent for me. I discovered her lying on her belly, 
but rather inclined to the right side, her head thrown back — 
breathing stertorous — pulse quickened and irregular — extremities 
cold — eyes amaurotic. On raising her head, the lower maxilla 
hung pendulous. On administering medicine, I found the muscles of 
deglutition powerless. I punctured her with a lancet in several 
places, and passed my finger round the tunica conjunctiva, without 
her evincing any pain. In fact, voluntary motion and sensation 
were entirely suspended. I, of course, made up my mind for the 
worst. I gave sulph. magnesise ibjss. pulv. zingib. §j ; applied a 
powerful counter-irritant to the spine, and injected frequently saline 
enemas. I remained with her until ten o’clock, when I was obliged 
to leave to visit my other patients. Saw her again at two P.M. — 
found her in the same state of insensibility — medicine notoperated, 
no impression produced by counter-irritant — -rumen much dis- 
tended with gas, which I punctured, allowing the canula to remain. 
Introduced through it another dose of purgative medicine, with 
stimulants — administered a terebinthinate enema — tried boiling 
water to the spine, which produced not the slightest effect, after 
which I applied a cataplasm, composed of sinapis et ol. terebinth., 
and ordered injections to be repeated. I then left her. Visited again 
at seven P.M. — no improvement — medicine not operated — irritant 
produced no effect — repeated enema. On rising from doing that, 
and approaching her head, I found she had ceased to breathe. 
I expressed a wish to make a post-mortem, and on the next day 
attended for that purpose, but was disappointed. In consequence of 
the owner not liking the effluvia that was given off from the body, 
he had ordered her to be buried. He informed me that the man 
whom he employed was a butcher, that he had examined her, and de- 
clared he never saw a more healthy animal opened, to his recollection. 
As it regards the nature of this too fatal malady, I perfectly 
agree with Professor Simonds, of the Veterinary College, when 
he says that he believes it to be more of the apoplectic character 
than otherwise, and accordingly proposes to call it “parturient apo- 
plexy.” The suddenness of its attack, and the absence of all febrile 
symptoms in this case, as well as very many others, is a good evi- 
dence in his favour. The primary causes that are in operation to 
produce it, we are, I believe, not conversant with. It usually 
occurs in well-bred animals, those that secrete an unusual quantity 
of milk, and are in good condition ; but why it should be princi- 
pally confined to the cow, I am at a loss to venture an opinion. 
I imagine (and of course it is imaginary) that diseased action is 
set up, either from pressure or otherwise, on the nerves of the uterus 
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