DROPPING AFTER CALVING. 
575 
Cows which recover from the disease are exceedingly liable 
to become victims to it at the next calving. Exceptions are, 
however, now and then met with, but the danger is so great 
that no risk of the kind should be run. 
In the preceding observations I have endeavoured to explain 
most of the causes which increase the susceptibility of an 
animal to be attacked, and I here add that among such causes 
is that of the period of utero-gestation being fully completed. 
The malady does not attend, or very rarely, on abortion or 
premature labour, nor even on protracted labour, especially 
if manual assistance has been necessary to effect delivery. 
Inflammation of the uterus, with which dropping has so long 
been confounded, follows commonly enough on first births, and 
in young and also impoverished animals and bad milkers, as well 
as on cases of abortion , premature labours , and mechanically-. 
assisted deliveries. These, indeed, are fruitful sources of inflam¬ 
mation of the uterus, but not of apoplectic attacks. 
Another marked difference between the two affections is the 
time which elapses subsequent to delivery and the occurrence 
of ill-health. Inflammation of the uterus rarely shows itself 
before the fourth or fifth day after parturition, and is always 
preceded by febrile excitement and its concomitants, whereas, 
as has been stated, the susceptibility to parturient apoplexy 
has either greatly diminished or entirely passed away by the 
expiration of the third, or fourth day at the furthest, after 
delivery. Coma also does not necessarily belong to inflam¬ 
mation, but it is the leading diagnostic symptoms of 
“ dropping.” 
Again, in inflammation of the uterus, death rarely follows 
in less than four to five days; while in dropping forty-eight 
hours, with very few exceptions, is the extreme period- of 
duration. Cows which, as in-calvers,” are sent from 
market to market, undergoing exertion thereby, are rendered 
less liable to dropping, but not to inflammation. Lastly, I 
may repeat that every variety of animal is liable to inflam¬ 
mation of the uterus, but the cow only to parturient apo¬ 
plexy. 
Pathology. —From what has been advanced, it will be 
seen that I regard “ dropping after calving” as true apoplexy, 
due to the act of parturition. In what way the apoplectic 
attack may be caused is not so easy to determine. Some 
persons have spoken of its production by the throwing back 
into the system of the access of blood which had been sent 
to the foetus” in utero. Strictly speaking, no such throwing 
back takes place, the foetus having its own independent set 
of blood-vessels. It is quite true, however, that by the con- 
