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A Summary of Sixty Cases of Milk Fever
27()
The Veterinary Journal
The following morning, about 8 a. m., my attenda nce was urgently requested a t the same farm to the effect " that a yearling filly is down this morning shmving same symptoms a the case yesterday ." I left immediately, a nd on arrival I learned the subj ect was discovered in the paddock in a recumbent position- owner had her removed indoors to a loose box upon a rick-lifter. I found her showing all the identical symptoms evidenced in the case of the previous night. Trismus not so complete, but hind limb stiffened, muscles of hind quarters hardened and rigid, tail carri ed stra ight out, ma rked increased reflex irritability, and spasms of the muscles. Also of membrana nictitans a t the slightes t movement in the loose box. In prosecuting further inquiries for the causation, I was informed the seven horses a t grazing were getting small rations of bruised corn daily for many weeks past. But t he subj ects of t his case were two of three that had broken over the fence th e day before into the adjoining field and had helped t hemselves to a liberal supply of potatoes, which had been discarded as d iseased by the workers a t the potato-pits. Th ese pota toes would be badly frosted with the recent wea ther. The mystery surrounding the cause of th e ailment now seemed solved, and t he third filly that broke into th e potato fie ld was given a moderate dose of lin seed oil a nd all removed to a place of safety, and there ha been no further developments. In the case of the second fi lly- though prognosis was unfavourable-she was given a la rge dose of linseed oil. I visited her again a t 6 p.m . same night a nd found her much worse, sweating more profusely a nd struggling violently. Fi lly d ied in thirteen hou rs from onse t of showing evidence of a ilment. Post-mortem appearances revealed noth ing noteworthy. The phenomena ob erved in these subj ec ts are unique, in my exp erience, as I am not aware that sola nin produces clonic spasm of muscle. I know potatoes in exce s to horses and pigs are very fatal and cause grea t disturbance of digestive tract and muscular twitchings, etc., but perhap vvhen frosted th ey produce other symptoms.
A SUMMARY OF SIXTY CASES OF MILK FEVE R. BY W. E. ARMSTRONG, B.V .Sc., i\'LR.C.V.S., D.V.H., Wigton, Cumberland.
THE following is a summary of sixty case of milk fever treated up to the last of Dece mber 1923.
A Summary of Sixty Cases of Milk Fever
277
The distribution by months was :I
I
....,~
t "'E .0 " ~
;:;;"'
I<
;:;;
"'
....,""
..::,
<"
3
5
5
2
5
3
7
ll
~
;;"'
.ti ~
,:,
·.:
"-
h
.,;
~0
~
0
z
~
"""
::::.
h
"'
.0
~
i5.
>
Q
- - - --- ~ -- - - - -"
] ~
~
-;;;
....0
0"
0
- - -- - - - -
C1l
9
I
5
60
N1l
5
I
There were three heifers and fifty-seven cows in the series. Symptoms ,of t he disease were no ticed following parturition in terms of hours or days as follows:-·
~
Hours.
2
3
-
---- No. .. l l
l
-
-
4
12
8
6
4
2
1
Day>.
lt
12
3
-
--- -- ~--
11
1\o. ..
19
2
2
4
5
4
5
' I 10 - 2
l
l
I
21
14
-
2
1
Total.
--
-
59
One cow went down in labour. The animals were in the standing position following inflation in :Ho urs.
5
4
- No .
..
1
1
6
9
8
12
18
24
-- -- ---- -- - 17
5
5
21*
2
5
36
72
- - - 2t lt
Total.
- - 60
I
*
One was reinflated at th e end of eight ho urs and rose fo ur h ours afterwards. These two h ad t o b e lifted with s lings at thi rty- six b ou ~ s on account o f prexisting stifle disease of which I was not awa re previously. Both we re c hewing their c ud a t t he e nd of the twelfth hour. t Had a relapse, and was reinfla t ed after thirty-six hours, making the t otal numb er of h o urs r ec umbe nt to seve nty-two.
t
There were seven cases of a bortion with retained placentre, and sixteen cases of retained placentre in full-term pregnancies. By retention is meant placentre which are retained and showing lit tle or no tendency to spontaneous delivery twelve hours after inflation.
PHARYNGEAL ABSCESS I N CATTLE. Bv R. HUDSON, F.R.C.V.S , R elford.
PHARYNGEAL abscess is usually situated in the upper wall of the pharynx ; I have heard of it in the side, but never met with a case which I could have operated on internally. Abscesses in the parotid region generally point and burst outwardly. Probably the origin is in one of the superior pharyngeal lymphatic glands which lie on each side of the roof of the pharynx, but if so,
The Veterinary Journal
The following morning, about 8 a. m., my attenda nce was urgently requested a t the same farm to the effect " that a yearling filly is down this morning shmving same symptoms a the case yesterday ." I left immediately, a nd on arrival I learned the subj ect was discovered in the paddock in a recumbent position- owner had her removed indoors to a loose box upon a rick-lifter. I found her showing all the identical symptoms evidenced in the case of the previous night. Trismus not so complete, but hind limb stiffened, muscles of hind quarters hardened and rigid, tail carri ed stra ight out, ma rked increased reflex irritability, and spasms of the muscles. Also of membrana nictitans a t the slightes t movement in the loose box. In prosecuting further inquiries for the causation, I was informed the seven horses a t grazing were getting small rations of bruised corn daily for many weeks past. But t he subj ects of t his case were two of three that had broken over the fence th e day before into the adjoining field and had helped t hemselves to a liberal supply of potatoes, which had been discarded as d iseased by the workers a t the potato-pits. Th ese pota toes would be badly frosted with the recent wea ther. The mystery surrounding the cause of th e ailment now seemed solved, and t he third filly that broke into th e potato fie ld was given a moderate dose of lin seed oil a nd all removed to a place of safety, and there ha been no further developments. In the case of the second fi lly- though prognosis was unfavourable-she was given a la rge dose of linseed oil. I visited her again a t 6 p.m . same night a nd found her much worse, sweating more profusely a nd struggling violently. Fi lly d ied in thirteen hou rs from onse t of showing evidence of a ilment. Post-mortem appearances revealed noth ing noteworthy. The phenomena ob erved in these subj ec ts are unique, in my exp erience, as I am not aware that sola nin produces clonic spasm of muscle. I know potatoes in exce s to horses and pigs are very fatal and cause grea t disturbance of digestive tract and muscular twitchings, etc., but perhap vvhen frosted th ey produce other symptoms.
A SUMMARY OF SIXTY CASES OF MILK FEVE R. BY W. E. ARMSTRONG, B.V .Sc., i\'LR.C.V.S., D.V.H., Wigton, Cumberland.
THE following is a summary of sixty case of milk fever treated up to the last of Dece mber 1923.
A Summary of Sixty Cases of Milk Fever
277
The distribution by months was :I
I
....,~
t "'E .0 " ~
;:;;"'
I<
;:;;
"'
....,""
..::,
<"
3
5
5
2
5
3
7
ll
~
;;"'
.ti ~
,:,
·.:
"-
h
.,;
~0
~
0
z
~
"""
::::.
h
"'
.0
~
i5.
>
Q
- - - --- ~ -- - - - -"
] ~
~
-;;;
....0
0"
0
- - -- - - - -
C1l
9
I
5
60
N1l
5
I
There were three heifers and fifty-seven cows in the series. Symptoms ,of t he disease were no ticed following parturition in terms of hours or days as follows:-·
~
Hours.
2
3
-
---- No. .. l l
l
-
-
4
12
8
6
4
2
1
Day>.
lt
12
3
-
--- -- ~--
11
1\o. ..
19
2
2
4
5
4
5
' I 10 - 2
l
l
I
21
14
-
2
1
Total.
--
-
59
One cow went down in labour. The animals were in the standing position following inflation in :Ho urs.
5
4
- No .
..
1
1
6
9
8
12
18
24
-- -- ---- -- - 17
5
5
21*
2
5
36
72
- - - 2t lt
Total.
- - 60
I
*
One was reinflated at th e end of eight ho urs and rose fo ur h ours afterwards. These two h ad t o b e lifted with s lings at thi rty- six b ou ~ s on account o f prexisting stifle disease of which I was not awa re previously. Both we re c hewing their c ud a t t he e nd of the twelfth hour. t Had a relapse, and was reinfla t ed after thirty-six hours, making the t otal numb er of h o urs r ec umbe nt to seve nty-two.
t
There were seven cases of a bortion with retained placentre, and sixteen cases of retained placentre in full-term pregnancies. By retention is meant placentre which are retained and showing lit tle or no tendency to spontaneous delivery twelve hours after inflation.
PHARYNGEAL ABSCESS I N CATTLE. Bv R. HUDSON, F.R.C.V.S , R elford.
PHARYNGEAL abscess is usually situated in the upper wall of the pharynx ; I have heard of it in the side, but never met with a case which I could have operated on internally. Abscesses in the parotid region generally point and burst outwardly. Probably the origin is in one of the superior pharyngeal lymphatic glands which lie on each side of the roof of the pharynx, but if so,