LIVERPOOL VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 137 
spreads the cheek under the influence of mental emotion or 
shock, are phenomena of this order. The effect of mental 
emotion on digestion, biliary, and lacteal secretions are well 
known. And as the late Professor Barlow says, “ Why should 
not the powerful excitement of parturition in some similar way 
affect the cow, producing among other derangements arrestment 
of lacteal secretion; an event, by whatsoever means effected, 
directly or indirectly, eminently mischievous. 
The functional importance of this system of nerves is proved 
by the fact that in the very lowest class of animals, where 
preservation and propagation of their own species is their only 
function, it is the only system existing, and it is only as we rise 
in the scale that this primitive nervous chain becomes connected 
with the fibres of the more highly developed nervous system. 
But even in the highest development—man—the primitive chain 
remains, and although connected by their fibres in different parts, 
they are still distinct both anatomically and functionally. 
A system so universal and so important to all the functions 
of organic life cannot but be implicated in such a disease as 
this; when we reflect that the principal function in the only 
animal in which it occurs, is to produce that complex fluid called 
milk, at once the most typical and most universal food, elabo¬ 
rated from the store-house of nature. And further, when we 
reflect that in order to produce this fluid a large development of 
this system is necessary; and it has been proved that during 
pregnancy, not nerves only, but considerable ganglia, previously 
not perceived to exist, are apparent in the vicinity of the uterus 
and mammary glands. 
If, therefore, the sympathetic system be interfered with, as it 
undoubtedly is, other vessels than those of the intestines would 
be paralysed, other and very important functions would be sus¬ 
pended or interfered with. And, indeed, this is just what we 
find in this disease, the interference or suspension of nearly all 
the important functions of the body, especially secretion, excre¬ 
tion, volition, and motion. 
It is evident that all these functions are interfered with, the 
functions of some part of the nervous system is either wholly 
or partially suspended; in short, we have what is known as 
paralysis. But, indeed, Mr. Fleming admits “ that in the course 
of the disease there is paralysis of the vagus,” but the vagus is 
not of the sympathetic, and the question arises how does this 
paralysis occur. This, I think, is the principal difference between 
us, but it is a difference that lies at the root of the matter. 
Is the paralysis centric, arising from the brain lesions of anse- 
mia or extravasation, or is it reflex arising from some peripheric 
excitation. 
