SCOTTISH METROPOLITAN VETERINARY ASSOCIATION. 889 
Sequela. —Perhaps, amongst all the untoward circumstances 
occurring in the life of a veterinary surgeon, none are more 
annoying than the sequelae of parturient apoplexy. Just as the 
coma has given place to consciousness, the patient commences 
to breathe hurriedly, evidencing congestion of the lungs, or pneu¬ 
monia, or she rolls or tosses about with enteritis, or groans and 
moans with metritis or metro-peritonitis, or perchance she has 
each one of these diseases following in rapid succession. I 
have myself seen pneumonia, metritis, and enteritis thus succeed 
each other, and successfully battled with them as they arose; even 
more annoying than these are obstinate constipation, acute 
diarrhoea, paralysis of one or more limbs, suppuration, sphacelus, 
or continued amaurosis. One sequel I have seen which can only 
be accounted for by supposing the existence of some persistent 
morbid irritation of the pneumogastric or sympathetic nerves, 
viz., an animal lying powerless for days after coma has passed 
off, and breathing as quickly as its respiratory muscles could 
enable it, without any satisfactory 'post-mortem appearances. Many 
of the sequelse are due to metastasis from the breaking down in 
the vessels of the brain of small thrombi and emboli, and their 
transportation to, and lodgment in, the small capillaries of the 
lungs, &c. Others are due to perverted or arrested nutrition, 
and others to congestion from pressure in the long-continued 
recumbent posture. Paraplegia may be produced by effusion in 
the spinal cord, and may continue for many weeks; still, if the 
animal is valuable, treatment as strychnia, nutritious food, general 
tonics with external stimulants to the loins should be persevered 
with, the use of slings in my opinion is to be condemned, if the 
animal is turned constantly and patience exercised all will be 
ultimately well. Strychnia should also be administered in 
chronic amaurosis, and blisters applied to the temporal region. 
In the treatment of congestive or inflammatory sequel® it must 
not be forgotten that the constitution is labouring under the 
shock of a severe nervous affection, and that more success is to 
be anticipated from the employment of stimulative than of deple¬ 
tive agents; at least my experience has led me to this conclusion 
as it has other veterinary surgeons with whom I am acquainted. 
Other sequelse, as knuckling over of the fetlock, must be treated 
as they arise with a stimulating charge, or bandage, &c., &c. 
Prevention .—I think it is scarcely necessary for me to enlarge 
to any extent on preventative measures as they are already indi¬ 
cated in the consideration of causes. 
The principles to be observed are the preservation of pregnant 
cows in as healthy and muscular a condition as possible. To 
avoid all causes of excitement or nervous depression either prior 
to, at the time of, or subsequent to parturition. To preserve a 
