DROPPING AFTER CALVING. 
625 
of the mucous membrane of the stomachs and bowels will 
attend its repeated exhibition. The agent, however, of the 
stimulating class which in our hands has proved the most 
useful is the oil of turpentine. It may be given conjoined 
with the ethers, nitric or sulphuric, in doses of an ounce and 
a half every three to four hours for the first sixteen or 
eighteen hours, should coma continue so long. 
Throughout the whole attack the cow must be well propped 
up with bundles of straw, and kept lying as much as possible 
on the belly. She should also be occasionally moved over 
from one side to the other. This is of more importance than 
may at first appear, for by it slight tympany will often be 
removed, but what is even of greater importance is that 
stagnation of blood in the parts of the body most pressed upon 
is thereby prevented. A want of turning has led in several 
instances to gangrene of the hind quarters, and ultimately to 
death therefrom, of animals which had recovered from the 
comatose condition, had risen, and had entered upon the con¬ 
valescent stage. 
From the preceding remarks it will be inferred that medi¬ 
cinal agents will have been employed to their full extent w T hile 
the condition of the animal demanded their use. On a 
favorable change taking place, and especially if the cow 
should rise, recognise her calf, and present indications of 
recovery, no more medicine should be given, but every care 
and attention be paid to the animal by good nursing and a 
careful selection of easily digested food. 
Preventive Measures. —Thegreat fatality of the disease, 
notwithstanding the best directed efforts of cure, gives an in¬ 
creased value to the means of prevention, as on them reliance 
has to be placed for diminishing the number of attacks. The 
basis on which prevention rests is that of bringing the preg¬ 
nant animal into as healthy and natural a condition as 
possible, by the adoption of hygienic and dietetic principles. 
Cows of a full habit of body or plethoric tendency are, as we 
have seen, the most predisposed to the disease. To lessen 
this, restricted diet, selection of food containing less nutritive 
matter but good in quality and easy of digestion, daily walking 
exercise, clean lairage, the occupancy of well-ventilated build¬ 
ings, and the keeping of the secretory and excretory organs 
active by the exhibition of medicinal agents, may be said to 
be among the most effective of these means. 
The value of prophylactics, great as it may be, is sometimes 
diminished by causes over which we seem to have little or no 
control. This position may be illustrated by the following 
particulars. For five years, 1838-42, we had under our care 
