PARTURIENT PARESIS. 
527 
With the advent of the disease in the organism begins a de¬ 
creased secretion of milk and detachment of colostrum cor¬ 
puscles. The entire process of tissue change becomes less in¬ 
tense. Thereby the development and absorption of toxins must 
likewise decrease and as soon as neutralization and excretion 
can keep pace with the absorption, recovery ensues. It is well 
known, that the quicker after birth under ordinary conditions, 
the malady appears, the more dangerous it is. This can be ex¬ 
plained by the fact that the time of the course of the disease co¬ 
incides with the most abundant colostrum period. 
The highest point of the quantitative and qualitative colos¬ 
trum formation can occur somewhat later, but generally does 
not reach so great an intensity in such cases, as in the course of 
the first 24 hours. Partly on this account, and partly because 
patients during the course of the disease gradually approach 
nearer and nearer the close of the colostral period, cows which 
have been attacked with the disease 2 or 3 days after calving 
recover more frequently than those which become affected dur¬ 
ing the first 24 hours. Upon the same ground it can be ex¬ 
plained that cows, which live beyond the third day of the dis¬ 
ease, ordinarily recover, unless other secondary complications 
supervene. But even when pathogenic quantities of toxins no 
longer find their way to the blood, several hours must yet elapse 
before the toxins already taken into the blood become neutral¬ 
ized and thrown out and recovery can occur. 
The rapid passage of large quantities of toxins into the blood 
current can, on the other hand, quickly cause the death of the 
animal ; the neutralization and excretion can not keep pace 
with the formation, and the poisonous substance becomes accu¬ 
mulated in such quantities in the blood, that it has the power 
to produce complete paralysis of the heart. If, however, the 
development of the toxin proceeds in not too great a volume 
but more continuously during a longer colostrum period, then 
the disease pursues a more protracted but less intense course 
and ends as a rule in recovery. In some cases, however, the 
poisonous substances seem to have produced such gross material 
