680 
ON PUERPERAL FEVER IN CATTLE. 
cretion of milk increased to her usual quantity, and she rapidly 
recovered her health and strength. 
This is simply the medical history of the case during the few 
days that I found it necessary to attend her: there are, however, 
some circumstances in it that I have not yet mentioned, but 
which I shall now proceed to do, accompanied by some remarks, 
intended to illustrate the opinions which I forwarded you in my 
last communication. 
The want of power in the constrictor muscles of the oesophagus 
was strikingly displayed in this case ; there was for some time no 
attempt to swallow, and the drinks were poured down the throat, 
as a person assisting said, “like running down a gutter.” And 
really there was a feeling in my mind sadly responding to the re- 
mark. There was such an utter apathetic indifference to either 
the nausea or the stimulus of the medicines given, that I felt, 
whilst administering them, as if there was as much hopelessness 
in the act as if they were literally destined at once to the com- 
mon sewer. On the morning of the 16th she had got back so 
near to the wall, that I found it necessary to have her lifted for- 
ward a little way : this was done, as carefully as possible, by 
putting a large horse-cloth under the body, immediately poste- 
rior to the fore legs ; and she was thus carried forward about a 
yard. As soon as this was done she laid her head flat on the 
ground, stretched out her legs straight and stiff, opened her 
mouth, which turned suddenly cold, with a spasmodic gasp, closed 
her eyes, and gave every symptom of immediate dissolution. In 
short, for a few minutes there was no appearance of life, but a 
slight heaving at the flanks. She recovered from this, however, 
and the next morning she was standing, and positively gave up- 
wards of six quarts of milk. She fell off from this quantity 
considerably afterwards, and then gradually improved again. I 
account for this particular fact (as I did in my last on general 
principles) from the circumstance, that there was a sufficiency of 
nutritive supply taken, previously to the cow falling, to produce 
this quantity of milk ; and that the reason for the non-secretion 
of it in the first instance, was the necessary influence from the 
organic motor nerves being withdrawn, and that this abundant 
supply, so suddenly afforded, was owing to the equally sudden 
restoration of nervous energy. This, I think, is strengthened by 
the fact, that her milk fell off considerably from this quantity, 
and then, as she gradually improved in her appetite, her milk 
gradually increased. 
Another remarkable fact in this case was, that the cow got up 
before purgation took place. This has been, in my practice, a 
very rare occurrence, and I account for it, from the great quantity 
of stimulus applied internally and externally. 
