340 
F. L. STEVENS. 
Nearly every intelligent veterinarian lias his own theory as 
to its pathology 5 but the utter lack of reliable and controllable 
therapeutics which will save anything more than a very small 
percentage of cases would indicate that its true etiology and 
therapeutics are really as little known as that of azoturia. 
I have read with much interest the various articles which 
have appeared upon this subject, from time to time, in our veter¬ 
inary periodicals, and it would appear from them and the 
literature upon the subject that there has been, and is at the 
present time, a great diversity of opinion as to its pathology 
and therapeutics. Without presuming to offer anything new to 
the profession upon this subject, but rather for the purpose of 
bringing it before you for intelligent discussion a free ex¬ 
pression of the opinion and the experience of the members of 
this association upon so important a matter—is the purpose of 
this paper. 
The various theories as to the etiology and pathology of 
this disease are probably familiar to you all. Among the older 
theories may be mentioned that of Harnes, according to which 
this disease was caused by the introduction of air into the 
blood vessels at the time of parturition, this producing progres¬ 
sive cerebral anaemia and paresis. This theory being unable to 
withstand scientific criticism is now generally abandoned. The 
still older theories of Bentele and Born explained the pheno¬ 
mena of milk fever as a lacteal metastasis. They are said to 
have observed in some instances milky urine from the kidneys, 
milky peritoneal contents and lactiform nasal discharges, but 
these lesions were undoubtedly, as Friedberger and Frohner 
remark, due to metastatic nephritis, peritonitis or to pneu¬ 
monia occurring during the course of pyaemia. According to 
Franck’s theory, this disease essentially consists of cerebral con¬ 
gestion followed by an encephalic oedema and anaemia, which 
is brought about by a too abrupt contraction of the uterus, 
and produces a general nervous depression and paralytic 
symptoms. 
This theory withstood the scientific criticism for years, and 
