258 
ON PUERPERAL FEVER, OR PARALYSIS. 
By Mr. T Sargtnson, V.S., Appleby. 
The name and the nature of the disease designated puerperal 
fever are, in my opinion, widely at variance. The idea which 
the term conveys to my mind is that of a disease consequent or 
supervening upon parturition, and, of course, confined to the fe- 
male animal, but my experience palpably contradicts this; for 
I have frequently met with a disease in the male, as well as in 
the female unconnected with parturition, that presented similar 
symptoms, and nearly the same appearances after death, with 
those of puerperal fever during life. So far as my observation 
has gone in respect to puerperal fever in the human female, there 
is a perfect dissimilarity between them. Hence I conclude that 
it is not puerperal fever, but whenever, or under what circum- 
stances soever, it may occur, it is inflammation of the mem- 
branes of the spinal cord — primarily of the lumbar portion — 
proceeding at different times from different causes, and requiring, 
with some little variation, a uniformity of treatment. I am, then, 
persuaded that it originally consists of inflammatory action in the 
lumbar portion of the spinal cord, and consequent paralysis of 
the posterior extremities; and, not confining itself to this part 
long, but gradually, and sometimes rapidly, progressing, until it 
involves the whole of the cerebral substance. 
The predisposing cause I imagine to be a degree of contracti- 
lity disproportionate to that of the circulating fluid; and the 
exciting cause I apprehend to be irritation in the neighbouring 
parts. I am speaking now with reference only to the period of 
calving. I am aware that there are other causes whose influence 
will produce similar effects. Even after parturition, the foetus 
is destined by nature to derive, for awhile, support from its mo- 
ther, but from another quarter than the uterus, viz. from the 
udder. Consequently, then, the stream of nervous influence 
which was distributed to the uterus prior to parturition, ought 
immediately afterwards to be transferred to the udder. But it 
may be supposed that the irritation in the uterus and peritoneal 
membrane set up at this period may have run too far, or con- 
tinued too long, and have tended to establish inflammatory action 
in the spinal column, and thus have frustrated the design of 
nature, by paralyzing the nerves that communicate energy to the 
secretory vessels of the udder. 
When once congestion is established in the ultimate capilla- 
ries, it is then that the effect of one cause becomes a concurrent 
