PARTURIENT APOPLEXY—DROPPING AFTER CALVING.

Otago Witness, Issue 1918, 24 August 1888, Page 6

PARTURIENT APOPLEXY—DROPPING AFTER CALVING.

This generally fatal disease occurs more frequently in the colony than is commonly supposed, and unquestionably exhibits itself more, frequently among the better class of dairy herds than in the average or inferior stock of the ordinary dairy farmer. A paper on the subject read by Professor Wortley Axe, V.S., at the meeting of the British Dairy Conference at Bury St. Edmunds, attracted much attention, and was acknowledged to be one of the most practical and useful contributions submitted during the proceedings. Of course the professor's remarks were intended to apply only to the customary treatment of British dairy herds, but as his advice and suggestions were endorsed by members of the conference who have had practical experience in the treatment of the malady, an abridgment of the paper should prove interesting to dairy farmers hero, and suggest to them a course of management of their incalf cows which will avert attacks.

Professor Axe attributes the frequency of attacks in British herds to the artificial treatment of dairy cows, high feeding, inbreeding, close housing, and deep milking, but mainly to the last-named. " For," he says, "it was chiefly to that extraordinary development of milking capacity which systematic culture had produced "that , the disease-was in some ill-defined way related.

. . Cows also of a full habit of body or plethoric tendency are the most predisposed to the disease." Circumstances which came tinder our notice three years ago confirm the professor's views. From a herd of pure-bred Ayrshires two or three cows — the heaviest milkers — succumbed to parturient apoplexy notwithstanding the adoption of prompt treatment. Every spring — the usual calving time — numbers of newly calved cows "drop " and die in the vicinity of Dunedin ; yet the animals kept by suburban dairymen are not high or in-bred, although at time of calving they may be of " full habit of body or plethoric." The disease, Professor Axe says, " consists in an overfulness of the vessels of the brain, or of the brain and spinal cord, associated with an escape of some of the constituents of the blood or of the blood itself into the substance of the nerve matter It rarely shows itself till after the birfch of the third calf. Abrupt changes from -low to high feeding augment the pressure of the blood, j and currents of cold air, lying on damp [ ground, and drinking cold water may bring on the disease." «' • - SYMPTOMS. * " ' ■' The attack usually commences very suddenly from 12 to 36 hours after calving. The i animals attacked* are for the most those in which delivery has been effected with the greatest ease, and where the foetal membranes ,(after-birth) are ejected immediately after the birth of the calf. The first signs are rejection of food, cessation of rumination, a lax condition cf the udder, and arrest of the secretion of milk. A dull expression settles over the face, the body sways from side to side, andsoonfalls to the ground.coraplete paralysis supervening. Suspended animation and retention of food in the stomach conduce to fermentation, and the belly becomes extended with gaseous matter. Eructations and escapes of gas are loud and frequent, and sometimes portions of the solid and fluid contents of the paunch are forcedjnto the mouth, and gravitate into the lungs, causing suffocation } or exciting pneumonia. The duration of the disorder is usually brief, 18 to 21 hours being •the average period. In cases where free escape of blood into the brain tissues occurs, death ensues in from five to 10 hours. If recovery is permitted, the acute symptoms disappear with, the same suddenness which marked^ their onset;. The professor's researches into the origin of parturient apoplexy induce 'Ufa*

to refer the disease to degenerative changes in the cerebral vessels. In this morbid condition they prove .incapable of withstanding the sudden and undue tension put upon them when from rapid contraction of the uterus after parturition the blood circulating that organ is shut out from it and thrown upon the general system. This increase of tension is specially accentuated when from any cause the udder, the natural recepticle of this surplus blood, fails to discharge its secretory functions. TREATMENT. The first point should be to relieve the en-; gorged cerebral vessels. Bleediiig is' advantageous in the early stage of the affection, but unquestionably pernicious in the more advanced stage when the body becomes cold and the heart's action fluttering. A full dose of sulphate of magne&ia, in combination with croton oil or aloes, should be given as soon as the disease is recognised. Perspiration should be induced by brushing the fckin and covering the body with hot woollen rugs. Stimulants such as gin and whisky, the aromatic spirits of ammonia, or spirits of .nitric acid in frequent doses, will augment secretory functions of the perspiratory glands, and aid in maintaining the general circulation. Professor Axe quotes Professor .Simpnds, V.S., who remarks: "Good wine is to be preferred to spirits, especially in those cases where agents of this kind have to, be frequently administered." The agent which in his hands has proved the most useful is the oil of turpentine given conjointly with nitric ether or sulphuric ether, in doses of l^oz given every three or four hours for the first 16 or 18 hours, should the animal survive so long. Eubbing the. spine briskly now and again with some irritant, such as turpentine liniment/or cantharides oil, should also be tried, while to the head cloths dipped in cold water should be applied and frequently renewed. Extreme distension of the stomach must be relieved by puncture, the same, as . for hove, the canula or sheith being left in to permit the escape of any gas formed subsequently. A catheter should be used to draw off the urine. Some authorities recommend the frequent stripping of the teats and rubbing of the mammary gland, but this is to some extent objectionable, as it necessitates the undue Smovjng of the" " animal. t The;; cow should be kept in a natural position by means of straw and other supports, and the he,ad should be raised as much as possible. Professor Axe adds : "It is important to. remember that one attack of the disorder increases the susceptibility of a cow to a second ; unless ■ therefore there are special reasons to the j contrary she should not "be calved down again, but be prepared for the butcher and disposed of." Professor, Axe's paper eon"eluded as follows :— r ( PREVENTIVE TREATMENT. , " The basis on which prevention rests," says Professor Sinionds, "is that of bringing the pregnant, animal into as healthy and natural condition as possible, by the adoption of hygienic and dietetic principles. ' Cows of a full habit of body or plethoric tendency are, as we have seen, the most' predisposed -to -the disease. .To lessen this, restricted diet, selection of food 'containing less nutritive matter but good in quality and easy of djgesfton, daily exercise, clean lairage,"th"e occupancy of .well-ventilated buildirigSj and lh& Ueepirig of the secretory and e£6retory organs acti ve ~ by " the' exhjbitionr 1 of medicinal agents, may be said to be the most eftVcMveof these means:" Profeseor Eimonds' terse and practical summary, of prevention js a fitting conclusion to this paper., . \ He says: "Part with all the oltl cows, milk late in utero-gestation", rfnd resumfe ft if possible immediately before delivery. •» Enforce daily walking exercise, adopt 'means to lessen the I supply of rich food and over-repletion of the ' stomachy after calving. .Give, aperient 'medicine before calving, keep' the animals. as free from excitement as possible after delivery, and early administer a. full, dese of tinctnre .of opiutp." These are golden rules of .guidance, and I con.mend them to all dairy - farmers who are interested in preventive medicine- and the welfare of ; their herds. „ , • . * Poring the dwwSsion which Mowed, the

reading of the paper several of the speakers stated that the course adopted by them was to milk as long as possible before the cow went dry, and to milk again before^ calving. A purgative dose composed of Il6*of salts andloz ginger shouldbe given befonrfcalving, and the same after calving. Several gentlemen also testified to the good effects of stimulants, such as port wine and whisky, in the treatment of the disease.. Professor Axe in replying said there could be no question as to.the desirability of calling on the mammary gland, to part with its milk immediately and frequently^ after parturition and he impressed upon the meeting that there is no identity between puerperal fever, and parturient apoplexy, as the farmer is a febrile disease and the latter is not.