532 MILK FEVER, OR ABDOMINAL NEURALGIA. 
myself of the impression that the symptoms evinced were of a 
highly inflammatory character, and the disease was treated, agree- 
ably to that idea, with the too often over-and-over-again plan of 
bleeding and purgation — a path I trod for many years with very 
indifferent success. I have bled largely, and in small quantities, 
from the neck and the subcutaneous veins of the belly : but in seven 
cases out of ten, the pain has increased, and the other symptoms 
have been aggravated, and, in many acute attacks, death has taken 
place in from twelve to twenty hours. 
Now I consider, as Mr. Friend does, the disease to be, in most 
cases, of a highly nervous type ; but whether the spinal marrow is 
primarily or secondarily affected, I cannot decide. The abdominal 
pain may first take place, and the spine become disordered by 
sympathy. In acute cases, which happen mostly to cows in good 
condition, whether they calve in or out, nothing is at first perceived. 
The cow eats — drinks — is driven from the farm-yard to the field — 
and gives her full portion of milk — when, all of a sudden, in runs 
the milkmaid to inform her master that the cow is bad, is stamp- 
ing violently, and that, in trying to turn her out, she reeled behind, 
and nearly fell. The veterinary surgeon is sent for, and, if he 
lives a mile or two off, before his arrival the cow has dropped, and 
all the acute symptoms of milk fever are presented to him. 
I do as yet maintain that acute milk fever has, like most nervous 
disorders, scarcely any premonitory symptoms. Mr. Friend seems 
to think it a chronic disease of the spinal cord ; but, ii so, would 
there not be a loss of condition, various disordered functions, in- 
complete paralysis of long continuance, spasmodic twitchings, &c. 1 
In chronic milk fever I agree with Mr. Friend, that, whether it is a 
sequel of the acute, or primary in its origin, there is a distempered 
state of the spinal cord on examination after death. Peritonitis has 
deceived most of us, although sanguine, prior to the opening of the 
body, that we should find it. 
January 3, 1839, I was sent for in haste, to attend a cow 
(crossed with the North Devon) belonging to Mr. Harris, of Rux- 
ford Barton. She was in good order, had calved well two days before, 
given her full portion of milk, and eaten and drunk well. She 
had been allowed to walk out in the yard adjoining the cow-house, 
when, all of a sudden, she appeared to be uneasy ; she was stamp- 
ing violently, yet some of her movements were similar to a species 
of paralysis. An hour afterwards the rambling gait came on. Two 
hours had elapsed before my arrival, and, just as I entered, she 
dropped with every symptom of acute milk fever. 
I immediately sent for a sufficient quantity of mustard ; mixed 
equal parts of turpentine and oil, and, with some meal, made a 
large cataplasm, which I spread and rubbed extensively over the 
