er to keep the cow indoors on dry
straw with plenty of salt and water than to have access to such pastures.

_Treatment._--Treatment of milk fever has been completely revolutionized,
with the result that a former mortality of 50 to 70 per cent has been
practically abolished. Formerly the most vigorous treatment was practiced
by bleeding, purging, the increase of peristalsis by eserin or pilocarpin,
enemas, cold in the head, counterirritants, aconite, tartar emetic,
sponging, wet-sheet packing, etc. The gross mortality, however, was not
materially reduced, and nearly all that were attacked within the first two
days after calving perished.

The first step in the modern treatment was made in 1897, when J. Schmidt
published his successful treatment by the injection of the teats and milk
ducts with a solution of iodid of potassium (1-1/2 drams to 1 quart of
water). This reduced the mortality to 17 per cent. Others followed this
lead by the injection of other antiseptics (lysol, creolin, creosol,
chinosol, common salt, etherized air, oxygen). These succeeded as well as
the iodid solution. With the injection of gases, however, a fuller
distention of the udder was usually secured, and virtually every case
recovered. This suggested the full distention of the udder with common
atmospheric air filtered and sterilized, and this with the most perfect
success. With sterile air Schmidt-Kolding claimed 96.7 per cent recoveries
in 914 cases.

In America the full distention of the udder, whether with oxygen or
filtered air, has proved invariably successful in all kinds of cases,
including the violent ones that set in within a few hours after calving. In
1 or 2 hours after the injection the cow has got up, had free passages from
the bowels and bladder, bright expression of countenance, and some return
of appetite. In my cases which had made no response for 8 hours to the
iodid injection, the injection of the udder to full repletion with the gas
(oxygen or air) has had immediately beneficial results. A similar full
distention of the bag with a common-salt solution (0.5 to 100), or even
with well-boiled water, is equally effective, but in these cases the weight
of the liquid causes dragging upon the udder and a measure of discomfort
which is escaped under the treatment with gas.

The value of each method depends on the fullness of distention of the udder
and the arrest in larger part of the circulation and chemical changes in
its tissues