SCHMIDT TREATMENT FOR PARTURIENT PARALYSIS. 
523 
It will be seen by reference to the table that cows affected 
were chiefly between the ages of six and nine years and at the 
birth of the third to the sixth calf. This is in accordance with 
observations elsewhere. Only one of these cases occurred in 
the primipara and only two in the secundipara. 
Nearly all the animals were reported either fat or very fat. 
Only two cows affected by the disease are reported as thin in 
flesh. This also is in accord with the usual observation. 
The table is in a measure contradictory to some of the cur¬ 
rent teachings on this subject in respect to the care and feeding 
of the animal prior to parturition. In the majority of the cases 
in which this feature was reported upon the cows were at pas¬ 
ture and had no other food. They also had plenty of exercise. 
Only 14 were stabled and fed liberally, conditions generally 
thought to predispose to this disease. Only 19 were at pasture 
and received in addition other food. That most of the cows 
took the disease while at pasture and not receiving any other 
food may arise from the fact that this is the way in which most 
cows are kept in Iowa during the pasture season. We cannot 
conclude that pasture alone may not constitute a liberal diet to 
a cow with good appetite and digestion, although it is generally 
considered that if the grass diet is not supplemented with grain 
ration the cow is reasonably safe from an attack of parturient 
paralysis. The above figures would indicate that the conclu¬ 
sion in this respect needs some revision. It is encouraging to 
note that only 3 cases occurred in cows fed lightly with a view 
to preventing the disease. 
It is worthy of note as being in accord with the usual teach¬ 
ing that nearly all the cows were large or very large milkers. 
In nearly every case the parturient act was accomplished in 
a normal manner. In only three cases did parturient paralysis 
develop after a difficult parturition. This, however, may be in 
the same ratio as the normal to the difficult births not followed 
by the disease. Were this so it would not damage Schmidt’s 
theory of the etiology of the disease, for in order to prove his 
theory it is not at all necessary to show that the disease followed 
