PARALDEHYDE IN VETERINARY PRACTICE. , 
107 
an instance which occurred in one of the herds. There were 
about 90 head of cows ; very wild, western cows. In separating 
the young stuff to be driven into another corral to be vaccinated, 
these cows stampeded and broke through a six-wire fence, and 
right by this fence lay a carcass of one of the diseased, animals. 
Those cows were all more or less scratched by the wire. They 
were sold about two days later, and in about two weeks six of 
them died, as I am told, with all the characteristic symptoms of 
black-leg. This proves the theory of its being an infectious 
disease of wounds. I might further be asked if it is safe to vac¬ 
cinate pregnant heifers. I will say I think it is, as I vaccinated 
over 60 and not a single abortion followed, to my knowledge. 
I will close by saying that I heartily endorse black-leg vac¬ 
cine where the disease actually exists. 
PARALDEHYDE IN VETERINARY PRACTICE. 
By Robt. S. MacKellar, V. S., New York City. 
A Paper read before the New York County Veterinary Medical Association, April 5, 1899. 
In treating of this drug I wish simply to state a few eases in 
which we have found it useful and employed it in preference to 
chloral hydrate, chloroform, ether and other drugs. 
First, let us consider what paraldehyde is. It is a body be¬ 
tween an alcohol and an ether; a colorless fluid, soluble in ten 
parts of water, still more soluble in glycerine, and of a disagree¬ 
able persistent odor. It is antiseptic and hypnotic and slightly 
diuretic, according to authorities. 
Although it is claimed that its principal action is that of a 
hypnotic, we find that it is very hard to produce sleep by its 
use, but it acts principally on the sensory nerves and also 
slightly on the motor. It is this anaesthetic action that we 
have made use of, and of which I cite a few cases. 
The drug was first recommended to us about two years ago 
by a fellow practitioner who had used it in the standing opera¬ 
tion for castration. By the administration of one ounce of the 
drug in a gelatine capsule this painful operation was rendered 
painless or very nearly so. 
