68 
ANIMAL TATHOLOGY. 
in the life of the cow when she is more than usually subject to 
these paralytic attacks, and when they are, most of all, severe 
and likely to be fatal. The poor beast, not strong in health, is 
left in some exposed part of the farm until within a few days 
of her expected time of calving, or, perhaps, she is not taken in 
at all. The pains of labour come upon her — the cold blast blows 
over her, and she is in that state of excitation and yet of general 
debility which accompanies parturition. She becomes suddenly 
palsied — at least the parts nearest to those concerned in parturi- 
tion yield to the ungenial influence to which they are exposed. I 
will not say that the uterus loses its power, but the animal is 
unable to assist its contractions by any voluntary effort; and the 
progress of the labour is delayed, completely arrested, and the 
calf or the mother, or both, are sacrificed. 
Again : — She has got through her calving, but she experiences 
that relaxation and debility to which, to a greater or less degree, 
our artificial treatment has subjected all our domesticated animals, 
and, in this state, she is left quite exposed to the pitiless blast ; 
or she is not so well taken care of as she should be, or she has 
been suffered, before her time of parturition, to attain a dangerous 
state of condition and plethora, and she too becomes suddenly 
palsied — “she drops after calving.” She has altogether lost the 
use of her hind extremities ; and there she lies for ten days or a 
fortnight, before our remedial treatment restores to her the power 
of moving, or there perhaps she lies never to rise again. 
Dr. Powell relates a case of palsy in the human being, which 
well illustrates the usual character of the same disease in cattle. 
“ A watchman, on quitting his duty after a night of severe cold, 
was attacked by sudden and violent general pains in his limbs, 
which soon departed, and left him in a state of universal palsy of 
the muscles of voluntary motion. He had lost all command over 
the muscles of his limbs or trunk. His circulation was not 
affected in any cognizable degree, and his mind retained its 
usual powers. All proper remedies were tried, but he died.” 
Palsy in Calves. — Calves, if they are turned out too soon at 
weaning time, and young stock generally, if thoughtlessly and 
cruelly exposed to the inclemency of the weather, are very sub- 
ject to palsy. It begins with gradual loss of appetite ; stiffness 
of the limbs ; difficulty of walking ; pain at every motion, ex- 
pressed by plaintive lowings ; trembling of the loins and hind 
legs ; tenderness of the loins, the animals shrinking under the 
least pressure on the part; at length (unless they have been 
removed to some comfortable shelter, and otherwise properly 
attended to) they fall totally helpless, or they drag their hind 
limbs along, and rapidly pine away and die. 
