798 
W. A. THOMAS. 
out with yellow labels and red wrappers. I may not have got¬ 
ten the exact ingredients in each case, but I have come so near 
to it that there is no fun in it. 
THE ETIOLOGY OF PARTURIENT PARESIS. 
By W. A. Thomas, D. V. M., Lincoln, Neb. 
Dr. Schwarzkopf in his report on parturient paresis before 
the American Veterinary Medical Association last September 
in New York City was very enthusiastic over the Schmidt treat¬ 
ment. He gives in his report the experience of 18 veterina- 
ians. The paper was evidently accepted without discussion. 
If any one had a different opinion he did not express it.* 
In this report the record is 87 recoveries out of 119 cases, 
or 73 1 per cent, of recoveries. Hence, according to this im¬ 
proved method of treatment, we must lose over 2.6 per cent. 
Our interest is in the 32 cases that did not recover. If post¬ 
mortems had been made on the 32 cases that died and a de¬ 
scription of the condition of the brain and spinal cord been 
added to the report the conclusions would have been very 
different. 
Why should a cow that gives a large quantity of milk be 
any more liable to a toxic condition of the udder than one that 
gives a smaller quantity ? If we believe the animal to have a 
toxic udder, how are we to account for lesions of the brain? If 
potassium iodide is good treatment for toxic udder, is it equally 
valuable for lesions of the brain ? 
Among other modes of treatment the intravenous saline solu¬ 
tion as used by some show equal, if not greater, success than 
the Schmidt treatment. 
Probably one of the greatest factors of success for these new 
treatments is that medicines are not given in a drench. 
I11 a typical case, taken sick six hours after delivery, and 
* The paper of Dr. Schwarzkopf was read by title only and referred to the Publica¬ 
tion Committee. —Editor. 
