156 
ON THE MILK FEVER IN CATTLE. 
given, with a little sweet hay; but it should be remembered, that 
while moderate nourishment is necessary to recruit the strength of 
the animal, and support her through this dreadful struggle, the 
digestive powers share in the debility of the frame, and must not 
be too early or unduly taxed. 
It occasionally happens, that the cow appears to recover a 
portion of strength in her fore-quarters, and makes many ineffec¬ 
tual attempts to rise; but the hind quarters are comparatively 
powerless. This partial palsy of the hind limbs is the natural 
consequence both of inflammation of the womb and of the bowels. 
The best remedy is the charge which is commonly applied to 
horses. All embrocations are thrown away on the thick skin of 
the cow. The constant stimulus of, and the support afforded by 
the charge, will alone effect the purpose desired. If, however, 
this partial palsy remains, a sling should be contrived by which 
the animal may be supported, and during the use of which she 
may be enabled gradually to throw a portion of her weight on the 
hind limbs, and re-accustom them to the discharge of their office. 
I should, however, be disposed always to give the animal a week 
or ten days to see whether she will be able to stand without 
assistance. There is a common consent among the different 
organs of the frame, both under healthy and diseased action. 
A partial or total suppression of the secretion of milk is fre¬ 
quently a very early, and, in some stage or other, an almost 
invariable symptom of the disease. The teats should be fre¬ 
quently drawn, and the discharge of milk again solicited ; and 
when this and the healthy action of the bowels can be re-esta¬ 
blished, we may venture to predict that the animal will do well. 
The post-mortem appearances are various and unsatisfactory. 
Occasionally there has been little to indicate the seat of dis¬ 
ease or the cause of death. At other times there has been much 
inflammation of the uterus, or the bowels, or the mesentery, with 
ulceration, adhesions, and serous effusion. Some veterinary 
surgeons have stated that the flesh of a cow that has been killed 
while “down after calving” is not injured for the butcher. Ihe 
carcases of those who are destroyed by the disease are usually 
most unfit. There is a great deal of venous congestion, or of 
yellow serous infiltration, which renders the meat not only 
unpleasant to the eye, but manifestly unwholesome. 
That it is epidemic there is every reason to suppose. The 
veterinary surgeon may be a considerable time without a case; 
but if one comes under his notice, it is usually followed by 
several others. We are not justified, however, in attributing to 
it the contagious character by which a similar disease in the 
human subject is so fatally distinguished. This, however, is 
