Basing his advice on the fact that parturition fever does not follow a case of severe dystokia, Cagny applies sinapisms on the loins, croup and thighs of a fleshy, plethoric, heavy milking, parturient cow. Proof of their efficacy is not obtainable.
Félizet advises leaving the calf with its dam for one week. Kohne doses the cow with nux vomica: Harms, with tartar emetic.
In view of the probability of a bacterial infection the cow should be taken to a clean, pure, well-aired stable a day or two before calving, having been first cleansed from adherent filth, and sponged all over with a 4 per cent. solution of carbolic acid.
To prevent diffusion of infection Bournay recommends antiseptic injection of the womb immediately after calving. Bissauge adds that the stable should be disinfected after every case of parturition fever, the manure carefully removed and the ground scraped and well watered with a disinfectant.
For fleshy, plethoric, predisposed cows, the iodine injection of the udder should be applied immediately after calving. A measure of this kind which is so successful as a curative agent, and which brings such circumstantial evidence of the production of a poison (leucomaine or ptomaine) in the mammary gland, can hardly fail to be even more effective as a prophylactic than as a therapeutic resort.
Treatment. With the state of plethora and congestion about the head in the early stages the question of bleeding at once arises. If early enough while there is a full bounding pulse, and as yet no sign of great loss of muscular control it is often very beneficial, as much as 6 quarts or more being withdrawn. It is well however to avoid cording the neck, which must increase the vascular tension in the brain, and to trust rather to digital compression of the vein. The blood should be drawn from a large opening in a full free stream, and may be stopped when the pulse softens. In the more advanced condition, with paralysis and more or less dulling of the senses, or coma, bleeding may be dangerous rather than useful. There is then serious pressure on the brain, with serous effusion, and perhaps blood extravasation, and in any case anæmia, and this latter may be dangerously or even fatally increased by the lessening of the blood pressure, without any compensating advantage in the way of reabsorption of the effusion. In such cases eliminating agents are a safer resort.
Purgatives commend themselves, but with the drawback of a too tardy action. Now however with the peristaltic stimulants given hypodermically this objection is largely obviated. Pilocarpin 1½ gr., and eserine 3 grs. will often secure a noticeable movement of the bowels in the course of fifteen minutes, implying a corresponding motion onward in the bowels more anteriorly, and even of the contents of the gastric cavities. If there is already palsy of the muscles of deglutition, this may be repeated several times at intervals of four or five hours. If however deglutition is still well performed a purgative of one or two pounds Epsom salts, with 10 drops croton oil, and 1 oz. oil of turpentine may be given by the mouth. Should this operate, it will supplement and carry on even more effectively the work of the hypodermic agents, and even lessen the density, plasticity and tension of the blood and act as a potent derivative from the brain.
A compromise may be made by giving aloes 2 ozs., croton oil 20 drops in bolus; or 1 to 2 ozs. sulphate of soda in solution may be injected subcutem.
In any case oil of turpentine or other antiseptic is of great value in the stomach in preventing fermentation and tympany, and thereby obviating a whole series of troubles such as: cerebral disturbance by nervous shock and blood pressure; impaired respiration and hæmatosis by pressure on the diaphragm; and eructations of food to the pharynx and its inhalation or gravitation into the lungs.
It is always well to clear out the rectum by injections, when if there is any indication of pharyngeal paralysis most of the remedies may be given by this channel.