404 
ON PUERPERAL FEVER IN COWS. 
of 3 ii ant. tart, to every six ounces. I use this along the whole 
course of the back very extensively, and also on the neck, begin¬ 
ning directly behind the ears. One effect this mode of treat¬ 
ment decidedly has, and, judging from analogy, a valuable one. 
From the irritability it produces, it occasions powerful efforts in 
the animal to keep up the action of the muscles; and if we may 
reason from the practice of surgeons, who, after their patients 
have swallowed opiate poisons, endeavour by rude and forcible 
means to produce the same effects, and often with the happiest 
results, we have a right to consider this as some quota in the ulti¬ 
mate amount of success. 
With regard to the question of Veterinarius, as to using the 
actual cautery to the abdomen, I beg to reply, that my practice 
has been confined to an endeavour to apply the remedy as near 
to the origin of the disease as possible. With this view it is that 
I try to produce external inflammation as closely as I can to 
the neighbourhood where the nerves are given off that I con¬ 
sider most affected. I do not see any particular objection, how¬ 
ever, to the practice, though I think that an application to the 
spine might be more advisable. 
I am somewhat astonished at the neglect which has generally 
een paid to affections of the spinal columns by all who have 
written on cattle practice. Every one knows the fact, that the 
spine participates in many diseases, if it is not itself, as I strongly 
suspect in various instances, the original seat of disease. Nothing 
is more common than to apply the thumb and finger along the 
spine to detect this affection , and yet when discovered by the 
pressure actually to exist, no direct application is made to remove 
it. It is my opinion, that if this were done at once, when detected 
in the way abovementioned, puerperal fever would not take 
place so often as it now does. This is a very important point in 
practice, and it behoves us to turn our attention to it. I have 
no doubt whatever myself, that the great number of cases of 
puerperal fever arise from chronic disease of some part of the 
cerebral system, fully developed, and brought to a crisis by pecu¬ 
liar circumstances connected with parturition; and if we are to 
seek for a preventive, we must find out an early remedy for these 
incipient spinal affections. We have much to learn yet respecting 
diseases of the nervous system; and it is only by patiently and 
carefully investigating all the circumstances connected with these 
cases, so imperfectly understood, that we are likely to arrive at 
just conclusions respecting them, or the adoption of a correct 
mode of practice. It is very possible, and very probable too, for 
indigestion, hoose, tightness of the hide, staring coat, and a host 
of other evils, to have their origin in disease of the nervous sys- 
