MILK FEVER.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1764, 31 May 1913, Page 8

MILK FEVER.

NOTES BY PROFESSOR M'CONNELL.

Professor P. M. M'Connell answers in the London "Dairy World" an inquiry an to the former and present status ot that once-dreaded disease, milk fever. Jle 6a, riiore is not so much milk fever about in the country now, as there used to be some yeare ago. We know a great deal better how to feed milk cows now, ami we take care never to have them in a nnile plethoric state when they come onwards to the calving time. Under the old reL'imo it was tlio custom to physic tlio cow tremendously before she came to tree work, and if she took this disease afterwards--n-ell, more physic was poured into her br tho bucketful, with the usual or general result that the animal died all the same. The tackling of this disease must liave prevented ft lot of work. Ihe writer has sat up nittnv a night with ft cow infected with this disease, trying to get her to ccme round and to get her on lier feet as it were. Now'the disease gives us no trouble whatever, because, apart from tlio fact that we do to a large extent prevent it, if an animal does take it after parturition, wo oan almost cure it in a.' few hours. The trouble .is believed to be duo to the presence of either a microbe or an enzyme .in, the udder, and these, are of the anaerobic type-that is, they will not live in the presence of fresh air. The first kind of treatment attempted was to inject a solution of iodide of potassium or chinosol into each teat. This K enel a !'y cured the milk fever, but very often ruined the udder of the cow, and she was of little use as a milker ever after. _ jNowadays we inject simply common air into the teat,, although this has to be done with a special injector which passes the ftir through cotton-wool to purify it. lne writer, however, knows of a case wliero a cow was saved by the use of a bic} cle pump by whioh a quantity of ft"' was forcil into each teat. Thero is sufficient oxycen in tho ordinary atmosphere to prevent the evil action of the microbe or enzyme which causes the trouble, and if the animal is taken in timo she is usually up in a few hours. It is necessary to beware of complications, as very often this disease is followed by -P™ l ™- ;™ d therefore the animal must be kept comfortable until she is really past all danger. There must have been a tremendous lot of money lost by this di seaso bsforo th© cure was found, and it is certainly n great advance in. being able to tackle it.