PUERPERAL SEPTICAEMIA. 
339 
meet such varied demands, he is compelled, however, to keep 
abreast of what is going on in the numerous branches of modern 
medicine and surgery. And, beside studyingt he nature of the 
animals with which he has to deal, he will, if he is wise, make 
a more or less careful study of human nature as well, for it is 
frequently the case that the owner is much more difficult to 
treat than is his animal. 
I trust the society will overlook any seeming tendency to 
veterinary professionalism on my part, in the “ make up ” of this 
paper, To convey such an impression is the farthest from my 
inteution. What I desire, is, simply to show, that with a curri¬ 
culum of study made up of such subjects as those to which I 
have made brief allusion, an'd a great many more which I have 
not mentioned, if the modern graduate, from our most reputable 
veterinary schools, is not somewhat of a naturalist, I think you 
will agree with me, that he, at least, ought to be. 
PUERPERAL SEPTICEMIA. 
(milk FEVER—PARTURIENT APOPLEXY.) 
By F. L. Stevens. B. S., V. S., Maine. 
A Iapei read before the Maine Veterinary Medical Association, October 13, 1898. 
There is probably no disease in the whole range of veterinary 
practice, especially among rural practitioners, which is so im¬ 
portant and which gives the veterinarian so little satisfaction in 
its treatment as the one before us for consideration at this time. 
Entailing as it does upon the dairyman the loss of the most 
valuable animals, and the almost helpless condition of the veter¬ 
inarian when called to attend such cases, make it a disease alike 
dreaded by the stockman and the veterinary practitioner. 
I have used the term “ Puerperal Septicaemia ” because I be¬ 
lieve it expresses the pathological condition in this disease 
better than such expressions as milk fever, parturient fever, puer¬ 
peral eclampsia, parturient apoplexy, etc. Such terms are mis¬ 
leading and only tend to confuse, simply expressing different 
forms or stages of the same disease. 
