ON FUEHPEUAL FEVER. 
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differ essentially from those which we found in dogs the ductus 
choledochus of which had not been tied. We must, then, reject 
as erroneous the opinion of Prout, who contends that the albumen 
forms itself only in the small intestine in consequence of the action 
which the bile exercises upon the chyle, since there existed a 
considerable quantity of it in these dogs. We cannot more rea¬ 
dily coincide with the opinion of Brodie, who maintains that the 
bile is indispensable in the formation of chyle. Finally, we must 
reject the opinions of those physiologists who maintain that the 
mixture of the bile with the chyme determines the precipitation of 
the white chyle; for we have found white mucous flocculi, which 
have been wrongly regarded as chyle, in dogs in which we have 
not only tied the ductus choledochus, but, in some cases, have en¬ 
tirely separated it from the duodenum. 
ON PUERPERAL FEVER. 
By Mr. Cox, Leek. 
Puerperal fever, or dropping after calving, in cows has occu¬ 
pied the attention of many of the contributors to your Journal for 
the last three years, and scarcely have any two agreed with regard 
to this frequent and fatal malady. As I possess somewhat different 
views respecting the cause of this complaint from any thing 1 have 
seen written on the subject, I have sent you the following remarks, 
with a case subjoined:—First, I will state what my opinion was 
before the appearance of Mr. Friend’s excellent paper in your 
March Number for 1836. I always told my employers that its ori¬ 
gin was in the blood; that it was a species of plethora, which 
caused an overflow of milk. The udder and secretory vessels not 
being not able to take up the influx, a determination of blood to 
the other parts, to the head, loins, &c., was the consequence; and 
hence arose the inability to stand, delirium, &c. 
My own experience goes to this extent: First, That it never hap¬ 
pens to young cows, for in them the udder and secretory vessels are 
capable of enlargement. 
Secondly, It never happens to a bad milker. 
Thirdly, It never follows abortion. 
Fourthly, If a cow is milked some time previous to calving, she 
is freed from this disease. 
Fifthly, Milk beginning to spring is one of the first symptoms of 
recoverv. 
Sixthly, It happens to the poor cow as well as the fat one; but 
in such somewhat of the forcing system has been going on for 
