628 
ADYNAMIC FEVER. 
ADDENDUM. 
Adynamic Fever. 
We append a few remarks on cases in which a pregnant 
cow drops prior to parturition, for by many persons an attack 
of this kind is viewed as being essentially of the same nature 
as parturient apoplexy. A close investigation of the circum¬ 
stances under which the attack occurs, the symptoms by 
which it is accompanied, and its general result, will show that 
the affection is altogether of a different nature. The recum¬ 
bent cow, being incapable of rising until cifter parturition, has 
led to the belief that the loss of power was due to that form 
of paralysis termed paraplegia. We do not deny that para¬ 
plegia may exist in some cases of “ dropping before calving, 9 but 
these are quite exceptional and of a somewhat different nature. 
It will be found that in the affection we are considering, 
paraplegia cannot be present, as both sensation and voluntary 
motion exist in the hind extremities; that no impairment of 
the functions of the bowels nor of the urinary bladder is pre¬ 
sent ; that on the completion of the period of utero-gestation 
labour-pains come on, and are as powerful and as regular as 
in an animal which had not dropped; and that the leading 
symptoms, viz. the incapability to rise, is speedily removed 
when parturition has been effected. 
If the term adynamic fever be at all applicable to a prostrate 
cow when pregnant, it would be in these cases. The animal 
assumes the recumbent position at varying times before 
calving, but never until the latter period of gestation, when 
the weight of the foetus and the gravid uterus, which for many 
weeks had gone on increasing, had arrived at a stage which 
the animal is unable to sustain. This may happen even a 
month before calving, and although at the commencement 
of the attack indications of febrile action are present, they 
are not accompanied with coma, nor with any of the ordinary 
symptoms of parturient apoplexy. Usually within three or 
four days the febrile symptoms pass off, and the animal is 
simply the subject of adynamy. She lies, feeds well, ruminates, 
passes the urine and faeces naturally, breathes freely, has no 
decrease of external temperature, nor any increased pulsatory- 
action of the heart and arteries. 
It is not difficult to understand that the muscles of the 
lumbar region in particular, having to support so great a 
weight as that of a nearly perfected foetus, which, when fully 
developed, we have known to weigh at birth as much as 112 
lbs., tire under the strain, and lose to some extent their toni¬ 
city, as well as their active power of natural contraction. We 
