427 
ON DROPPING AFTER CALVING. 
By Air . Leaver, of Willingdon, Sussex. 
This disease does not seem to be connected with either easy 
or difficult calving, nor yet with the age of the cow ; but cattle 
in high condition appear to be more liable to it than those that 
are poor. It attacks them, however, in every condition, and the 
attack is very different in different cows, as well as the time of 
attack after calving. Some are not seen up after calving; and I 
recollect one instance in which it did not happen until a fortnight 
after calving: it generally, however, comes on before the fourth 
day. The beasts are sometimes attacked very violently; they lie 
stretched out, not able to raise their heads; and the pulse not to 
be felt. They swell very suddenly, and seem in much pain; and 
death takes place from six to eighteen hours. This, for the 
most part, occurs in fat cows. 
Sometimes they are down, with apparently nothing more the 
matter with them than that, unable to rise, they lie in a rumi¬ 
nating position, eat and drink, and chew the cud, as usual; and 
the evacuations are but little altered. In this state they continue 
from two days to a fortnight, when they get up and are well. 
I never knew one get up after lying longer than a fortnight, nor 
did ever know any benefit from attempting to sling them. 
At other times their bowels are highly constipated ; they then 
mostly lie with the head doubled towards the flank: they are 
very dull and express great pain. 
The treatment must vary according to the attack. In an early 
stage, and the cow in good condition, and evident heaving and 
fever, bleed very freely. Give sulphate of soda 12 oz., and 
nitrate of potash 2 oz., with castor oil, combined with tincture 
of opium and sweet spirits of nitre. I back-rake, and horn down 
some gruel. If called in in more advanced stages and where it 
seems to be simple paralysis without much constitutional affec¬ 
tion, I open the bowels with salts and oil, cover the loins with a 
fresh sheepskin, and allow the animal plenty of sweet gruel 
(which she will generally drink very freely), and bran mashes to 
eat, but not much solid food. If swelling comes on, or the cow 
begins to be feverish, and the breathing is quickened, I bleed ; 
otherwise I do not. In both cases, if evident weakness follows, 
I give tonic medicines, but depend mostly on good gruel; and in 
every stage and case I am most anxious to get the bowels open 
with salts and oil, and copious injections; for as soon as the 
bowels are opened, the cow often gets up and speedily recovers. 
We have cases of paralysis in cattle similar to this, indepen¬ 
dent of calving. 
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