758 
SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
described in the paper would be quite likely to be beneficial in 
cases of septic intoxication. 
Dr. Bennett: I do not remember to have seen any cases 
like those described in the paper, and I should be pleased to 
hear what Dr. Verschelden thinks was the cause in his cases. 
Dr. Verschelden ; I have not been able to make a careful 
and satisfactory study of it. I have considered it a species of 
nervous disease, possibly resulting from stomach troubles. It 
does not seem possible that it was due to septic infection, as in 
many cases the deliveries were very easy and the membranes 
came away promptly. Some cases occurred as long as three 
weeks after very easy delivery, and one thing peculiar about it, 
there was a very small diminution of the milk supply, there were 
no vaginal discharges, and no straining. It is peculiar that these 
cases were all seen during the fall of 1897 and spring of 1898. 
Fully fifty per cent, of the cows in St. Mary’s, where I practice, 
suffered from the malady. I did not see any cases in the 
country. My treatment, as you will note, was nerve stimulant 
and tonic. 
Dr. Wright: Dr. Verschelden asks if any of us have seen 
similar cases. I will say that I saw something similar in a 
bitch I owned. I noted her one morning having a staggering 
gait and disinclination 10 move about. This condition was as¬ 
cribed by me to fright, as the dog-catchers had endeavored to 
secure her. She rapidly emaciated thereafter, being reduced to 
skin and bones. She was finally given a good purgative, 
which operated promptly, and after which she made rapid re¬ 
covery. 
Dr. Milnes : I understood from the paper that the essayist 
thought there was some relation between the case of crotalism 
of which he read, and these cases described, and I would like 
to know if that is his idea. 
Dr. Verschelden ; Yes. 
Dr. Milnes: As I understand crotalism it is a disease of 
the horse only, produced by the poisonous weed crotalaria sag- 
ittalis in the food. 
Dr. Verschelden : I was led to believe from the symptoms 
that there was some poisonous element in the food of these cattle. 
Dr. Moore: I can readily see how the train of symptoms 
given in these cases would indicate there was a toxic element 
in the food, but it seems from the paper that only parturient 
cows were affected, whereas other animals are likely also to be 
influenced by poisonous food. 
