PARTURIENT APOPLEXY. 
259 
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ORIGINAL ARTICLES. 
PARTURIENT APOPLEXY. 
A paper on the essential nature of Parturient Apoplexy in the cow, respect- 
y submitted in competition for the Ameeicjan Veteeinaey Review Prize. 
By Luoidus Oedo. 
The necessities of successful therapeutics in veterinary medi- 
e demand a more accurate knowledge than we have hitherto 
isessed regarding the etiological and pathological relations of 
ease. The revelations of post-morten investigations throw, per¬ 
is, the only direct light upon the pathogenesis of disease. All 
3 is essentially empirical. In animals, as in man, the processes 
life and death involve the same factors. The acceptance of 
r belief which does not embrace this doctrine so far disqualifies 
veterinarian for skillful and scientific practice. Seen in its 
3 grity, comprehended in its fullness, nature is a unit. What 
see are only the infinite phases of expression which she ern- 
lies. Emerson has well said “ All science has one aim, namely, 
find a theory of nature. A true theory will be its own evi- 
ce. Its test is that it will explain all phenomena.” Let us 
*roach the discussion of our subject with something of the 
•it of the Concord philosopher. Let us see if the present state 
science does not offer a comprehensive explanation of that 
rbid state which is designated in the cow “ parturient apo- 
sy.” There has been much wild speculation during the past 
f century regarding the essential nature of this disorder. As 
;ht be supposed the tendency has been in the direction of ac¬ 
ting the hyperaemic or congestive theory as sufficient to explain 
phenomena of the malady. This hypothesis strikes the un¬ 
king mind with great favor. But like many other theories 
fill not explain the facts as they present themselves for inter- 
cation. 
While, unquestionably, congestion sometimes does take place 
even hemorrhage into the cerebrum, it still is not the factor 
ch makes up the pathogenic entity of parturient apoplexy 
