SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
757 
cious appetite with a trifle fever are all the symptoms ; some¬ 
times, especially if put under proper treatment at once, no graver 
symptoms are developed ; but such is not always the case, but 
too frequently, in a day or two more, the symptoms are aggra¬ 
vated to an alarming extent; in so short a time the flesh seems 
to have melted from that bodv which was sleek and fat, the coat 
is rough and staring, the appetite is entirely gone, and with it 
rumination ceases, pulse is about 70 or 80, temperature two to 
three degrees elevated, faeces are covered with mucus and hard. 
What is peculiar in most cases is the surprising amount of milk 
yet secreted, considering the condition of the animal. In all 
cases which came under my observation the animal was able to 
get np without or with very little assistance ; it would, however, 
have been an easy matter to push her over after she was up, so 
weak she was. The predominating symptoms are the incoordi¬ 
nation of the hind parts and the rapid emaciation. 
My mode of treatment consists in, first, administering a full 
dose of physic: Sulph. magnesia lb.j, gamboge 33, no matter 
how weak the patient is ; this is folowed by powders two or 
three times a days consisting of sodium bicarb., gentian radix 
pulv., aa 3 js, and strychnia snlph. grs. iij, combined or alternated 
in very bad cases with arsen. ac. grs. v. All of my cases so 
treated recovered in about ten days to two weeks, and once con¬ 
valescence established gained quickly their former condition. 
Now, what factor brings about these phenomena in the par¬ 
turient cow ? Has any one seen it in the non-parturient animal 
or in other females besides cows ? These are questions which 
interest me very much, and I would like to hear you, gentlemen, 
on the subject. 
DISCUSSION ON DR. VERSCHELDEN’S PAPER. 
Dr. Moore: Dr. Verschelden’s paper is certainly a very 
interesting- one, and he has described a series of cases which are 
certainly not commonly met with, though possibly I may have 
seen some such. The symptoms are somewhat similar to those 
found in cases which I have met, and which I attributed to 
septic intoxication, but in the cases described the lesions were 
developed too long after parturition to be ascribed to septic in¬ 
fection. As you are aware, there often remains after parturi¬ 
tion small portions of placenta in which putrefactive changes 
occur, producing a series of symptoms similar to those described, 
such as elevation of temperature, staggering gait, general weak¬ 
ness and rapid emaciation. The treatment employed in cases 
