ON PUERPERAL FEVER. 
(J08 
A rather old Alderney cow (a great milker, and rather remark- 
able for keeping herself in good condition also) that had not had 
a calf for the last three years, continued to give some quantity 
of milk till within the last few weeks, and appeared to be incon- 
venienced by the size of her bag making it necessary to milk 
her some days before her present time for calving ; on the 
arrival of which she was put in at night and turned out again 
the first thing in the morning. She shortly after brought forth 
a very fine calf, which she licked, and appeared as well as possible 
till towards evening, when she was observed to reel in walking, 
and I was immediately sent for. 
At 9 p.m., I found her standing in a shed, without the least 
appearance of pain, dejection of countenance, or fever, and 
her shape more contracted than is usual for the time : she had 
dunged a good deal in the night, and at the time of calving, but 
(as the man said) not since, and the rectum was empty. She 
appeared rather full ; but, on the whole, there was nothing to 
indicate a serious affection, till I directed that she should be 
driven into an adjoining cow-house, which she reached with 
difficulty. On turning round when in, she fell on her off side, 
and her head turned, as it were, involuntarily on the near. As 
I have said before, there was no appearance of fever, and the 
circulation was rather languid; nevertheless (from what I had 
seen before and read on the subject) I thought proper to bleed 
to the extent of six quarts, and gave her a pound of Epsom 
salts, sending her another half pound with two ounces of ginger 
to be given immediately, and directing some gallons of warm 
water to be given within the next three hours. This was done ; 
she turned on her other side, and appeared lively till towards 
three in the morning ; when the man in attendance thought 
proper to give her some more water, in doing which, her powers 
of deglutition being impaired, some of it passed down the wind- 
pipe, and a fearful change immediately took place. I was called 
up at five, and found her almost dead ; but administered a dose 
of gin and spirit of hartshorn, which appeared to revive her 
for a time ; but she died about three hours after. I may as well 
mention here, that on turning herself her head again turned on 
the upper side, and her neck twisted in a way that surprised the 
attendants. I attended to see her opened, and arriving before 
the skin was taken off, took out my pocket scalpel, and was 
cutting away to examine what is called the milk vein, when my 
attention was taken by the striking off of the horns, and was 
just in time to witness the escape of some quantity of dirty 
reddish coloured fluid from the surface of the brain, which sub- 
stance appeared healthy ; not so the pia mater, which (to use a 
