570 
J. SCHMIDT. 
could continue to form in parts of the udder, into which the infusion had not 
been forced, or had brought about some other action. As the cow was small 
and medium fat, it is possible that the dose of potassium iodide was too great 
It IS also possible that through the breaking down of the salt a specific paralyz! 
ing alkaline action upon the heart was generated, so that this effect had its be- 
^nning just at the point when the toxins had reached their maximum If 
this IS the case, then potassium iodide in large doses can, in patients having a 
special predisposition to cardio-paralytic potassium action (in fatty heart) be¬ 
come a two-edged sword when used in milk fever. According to Binz*’ the 
iodine salts give off free iodine when it comes in contact with protoplasm car¬ 
bonic acid and water. That such a breaking up also occurs in the body is 
ighly probable, and that this takes place more rapidly and in a higher degree 
after an infusion into the udder, if the infused iodine salt is accompanied by the 
introduction of atmospheric air. It is therefore impossible to determine whether 
the air acts directly upon the products of the broken down gland cells in the 
alveoli, or whether it works indirectly by the bringing about of a more rapid 
breaking down of the iodine salt. In the latter case, a stronger iodine action is 
obtained with the flow of air upon the detached decomposed gland cells, at thesame 
time however, a greater paralytic power upon the heart. As I did not dare 
a an^don the introduction of air, I concluded to try, on the next patient, iodine- 
iodide of potassium solution in order to lessen the dose of potassium iodide 
and the effects of the potassium and yet secure a more intense action of 
iodine. 
No. i6. October 17, 1896. Medium sized red cow in good milking condition 
a very good milk cow, 7 years old, calved about 60 hours before the outbreak of 
the disease, had given quite a good quantity of milk and stood readily • yet the 
appetite had been somewhat less than natural and to-day she could scarcely 
stand up Upon my arrival, 3 hours after the advent of the paralytic symptoms, 
the afterbirth had not yet been expelled. The cow was recumbent, with the neck 
en in le orm of the letter S, but she was not very unconscious. Horns and 
ears were warm and the tongue not paralyzed. The cow attempted several 
times to get up but could not. The udder was not ten.se. The fieces in the 
posterior part of the rectum had dried up to small hard, dry, crust covered 
pellets, while further forward in the rectum they were of a gruel like consis- 
‘“'d ‘he uterus almost not contracted at 
all. The placenta was attached to only a few maternal cotyledons and was very 
easily detached. There was a chocolate colored, stinking accumulation in the 
Uterus but the cow had had no pains. Temperature 39.7° C. 
Infusion of an lodo-iodide of potassium solution (i gramme iodine, 5 
grammes potassium iodide, 3 grammes water) mixed with one liter of boiled 
water. Of atmospheric air there was introduced only the small column already 
in the infusion tube at the beginning of the operation. Massage, etc. No irri- 
gation of the uterus was attempted. 
After the treatment the cow kept quiet and lay in a natural attitude. After 
3 hours she drank some water and ate some turnips. After 9 hours there was 
* Frohner’s Arzneimittellehre 1890, S. 262. 
