ON PUERPERAL FEVER. 
9 
on. She took, directly after the bleeding, an aperient, which was 
repeated at night. She died before five o’clock on the following 
morning. 
This case at first presented only the common symptoms. I 
thought, from the circumstances above alluded to, that bleeding 
might be useful. Perhaps I did not carry it far enough. She 
did not live above sixteen or seventeen hours. How could inflam- 
mation have produced death in so short a time I 
Case IV. — A half-bred York, eight or nine years old, calved 
well on July the 22d. I am often applied to for what is called a 
cleansing drench, and always send an aperient. Such a drench this 
cow took as a precautionary measure, and she had no complaint 
through the day ; but on the morning of the 23d, she was found 
down. She took the aperient at nine A.M. The belly was soft ; 
but nothing passed the bowels during the day. Her position was 
favourable. Draught repeated at night. 
24fA, 9 A.M. — Another draught was given. Belly continued 
soft, and there was no flatulence : bowels acted in the course of the 
day, and she got up during the night. 
Three of these cases exhibited very little flatulence ; possibly the 
expeditious attendance might prevent this : but that supposition is 
not borne out by the third case. No bleeding. 
Indigestion, bad food, and bad treatment, are assigned as causes. 
Common indigestion, and consequent flatus and distention, to any 
excess, are not attended with the peculiar “ dropping ” character. 
In this complaint the disengagement of air does not take place 
until after the cow is down. As to bad food, I do not know to what 
latitude the term is meant to extend ; but my observation induces 
me to consider it as possessing very trifling if any influence : for I 
find the cow under every circumstance of previous keep equally 
liable, nor have I found that it is more fatal in summer than in 
winter. 
Bad treatment I likewise erase from the list of causes. I doubt 
whether it is possible, by any extreme of diet or management, to 
induce or even predispose to the complaint. 
Excessive excitation of the uterus, and plethora, are offered as 
causes. If so, I should imagine the young animal equally if not 
more incident to the affection than the old one ; and the blood which 
nourished the foetus is not only in a considerable quantity taken 
away by the foetus itself, but the remainder speedily finds employ- 
ment in the udder. There can be no doubt that nature amply 
provides for all such changes. 
Supposing it simple debility or paralysis, and on this head the 
observations of Mr. Friend (supported by Dr. Marshall Hall’s Lec- 
tures on the Excito-motory System) are, I readily admit, entitled 
VOL. XII. B 
