8 
ON PUERPERAL FEVER. 
sixth year. This point, if I am right, seems to have escaped the 
notice of most of those who have spoken and written on the subject. 
I am at a loss to understand how in some districts, and under 
some practitioners, the success attending the treatment of these 
cases is so marked. If I save half my patients I am satisfied. A 
few cases will illustrate my views of this disease, and my mode of 
treatment. 
CASE I. — Feb. 8 th, 1837. — My own cow, a large half-bred 
York, eight or nine years old, calved well. There was nothing 
amiss at night, but she was found on the morning of the 9th down. 
I gave her immediately sulphur twelve ounces, and sem. croton, 
thirty grains. I was compelled to leave home, but I ordered, in 
case flatus should supervene, a draught at night, containing six 
ounces of sulphur ; and my man, to make sure of the case, gave it. 
I returned late at night, and wished it had not been administered, 
for the belly of the cow was quite soft, and she lay in a favourable 
position. 
Before the morning of the 10th, profuse purging took place, and 
so much so, that I began to fear that the treatment had been pushed 
too far : however, with nursing, and two or three warm drenches, 
she went on favourably, and got up during the night of the 12th. 
I kept this cow, and she calved in March 1838, all right. 
This case does not require much comment, except that I did not 
bleed. The prognosis was favourable, perhaps, from the beginning. 
I calved her the second time, experimentally ; for I once knew a 
cow drop in two consecutive calvings, and recover. Cows are 
changeable property, and it may happen to an individual cow more 
than once, for ought we know. 
Case II. — An Alderney seven-or-eight-y ear-old cow calved 
early on the morning of June the 16th, 1838. She appeared to be 
well throughout the day, but she was found down on the morning 
of the 17th. 
At ten A. M. she had an aperient draught. Her position was 
good ; belly soft ; and there was no flatus. 
18 th . — At ten A. M. the draught was repeated. At four P. M. 
she got up. In this case the prognosis was favourable : there was 
no apparent improvement on the second morning, but in the after- 
noon she got up suddenly, and begun cudding. No bleeding. 
Case III. — An old half-bred Alderney calved well on January 
the 15th, 1838. There was no complaint during the day; but she 
was observed to be amiss on the 1 6th. I saw her at two P. M. 
Before I touched her, I said “ She will fall soon.” The superficial 
vessels where all so turgid that I determined on bleeding. While 
the attendant was gone for a bucket, she did fall. I bled her, taking 
away six or seven quarts. Considerable flatulence quickly came 
