OF INFLAMMATION OF THE UTERUS IN COWS. 101 
Being particularly engaged among patients at that time, and 
considering my presence of little use, 1 left her, with a full dose 
of spt. aether, nitrosi and tr. opii to be given in gruel at noon, at 
the same time desiring the owner, in case she died, to let me know 
it, that I might have an opportunity of an examination. In the 
evening a messenger came to let me know that she was dead. 
Post-mortem appearances . — I cannot better explain them than 
in the words of M. Gatellier, and quoted by Dr. Ley, as recorded 
by that learned and able writer in his Study of Medicine, Dr. 
Mason Good. They contain a more correct description of the 
complaint than I could possibly give, although Dr. Good is de- 
scribing a case of human and not of veterinary pathology. 
“ On examining the body, the peritoneum and intestines exhi- 
bited little morbid affection of any kind, and the disease was found 
limited to the uterus and spleen. The peritoneal covering of both 
was slightly inflamed, but the internal structure of both had un- 
dergone a very extensive destruction. The whole surface of the 
uterus, when stripped of its tunic, was fouftd to have assumed a 
gangrenous appearance, was extremely irregular, of a dark livid 
hue, and gave forth a highly offensive vapour. The texture of 
the spleen was so changed as to resemble an extremely soft piece 
of sponge (in my case it was contracted to one-third of its natural 
size), and its cells were filled with an intimate mixture of pus and 
grumous blood/’ 
This being the first case of the kind I have met with, and its 
course being so rapid, I was puzzled to know whether my treat- 
ment was right or wrong ; but, by perusing the above work, and 
others of a similar kind, and speedily having a second case, 1 
was led to imagine that in cases not so desperate my mode of 
treatment— the bleeding being omitted — might be successful. 
Case II. — This cow had calved about eight days, and had been 
unwell for two days before I was called in. On inspecting my 
patient I immediately recognised the foregoing disease, with the 
same attendant symptoms, but not in so aggravated a form, and 
to which was added a slight degree of straining, as if wishing to 
void something from the vagina. 
In this case debility was extreme. 
I now began my treatmentby exhibiting amild laxative, combined 
with a large dose of pulv. zingib., and every eight hours after- 
wards, for two days, I gave strong stimulants combined with 
camphor and tr. opii. After this time I omitted the camphor, 
and gave, twice in the day, spt. aether, nit. et tr. opii, with pulv. 
rad. zingib. et gentian, in gruel. In the course of a few days 
my patient shewed evident signs of speedy amendment, al- 
though she had a slight discharge from the vagina of a reddish 
VOL. XV. O 
