84 
PARTURIENT APOPLEXY. 
it may have appeared in former editions of the work, the 
fourth edition being published in 1872. 
At my first examination I gave, amongst others, this test, 
mentioned in Attfield’s work, for Prussic acid; the question 
next came as to its source, was I taught it at the school at 
which I was educated? My reply was that I had read it, 
and that I had not tried it. My examiner requested me to 
try the test afterwards, and added that I should probably 
find the solution of sulphate of copper acted equally well 
without the alcoholic solution of guaiacum, and was of little 
value as a test. I cannot say either one way or the other, 
as I have not tried the test. 
PARTURIENT APOPLEXY. 
By George Bourdass, M.R.C.Y.S., Bridlington. 
My late father, having had an extensive cattle practice 
in this neighbourhood, was considered a great authority in 
cases of milk fever, as the disease is commonly called here. 
His chief remedy in these cases consisted of aromatic spirits of 
ammonia, turpentine, and cinchona, in doses of an ounce each, 
and as a preventive he was accustomed to bleed cows six or 
eight days before calving, and administer a dose of alum ; 
but what effect, if any, the alum had 1 cannot say. 
I also have had considerable experience in the disease, and 
have adopted the following method as a preventive with good 
success, viz. giving a saline purgative six or eight days before 
calving, and another saline purgative immediately after 
calving, with an ounce of cinchona; and twelve hours after 
calving the following, viz. Pulv. Cinchonse, Anisi, Pulv. 
Gentian, ana 3j> Ammon. Carb. 3ij, in oatmeal gruel. 
Whenever this treatment has been adopted it has been suc¬ 
cessful, but when my clients have neglected to carry it out 
I have had a great many cases of parturient apoplexy. 
In this part of the county we are greatly adding to our 
number of cows, and feeding them high on account of the 
increased value of milk and butter and young cattle, our 
wholesale dealers selling milk Is. per gallon, retail Is. 4 d. 
These cows are fed on turnips, linseed cake, crushed oats, &c. 
The last few years, when I have been called to a cow 
suffering from milk fever the case, as a rule, has run its 
course in a very short time; indeed, in many instances, tfie 
animals have died in from six to eight hours, and often in 
in less time than that. When I have had a distance of five 
