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Show I u "MILK FEVER" Dr. D. E. Madsen of the U. S. A. C, offers the following on the disease of milk fever: "Several investigators have found abnormally low quantities of calcium in the blood of cows suffering with milk fever and it is now generally accepted that the proper treatment of these cases requires the use of calcium therapy. The classical air treatment which has been used so much hi the past has proved quite satisfactory but its use involves one great danger, that of introducing infection into the highly specialized milk-producing glands; consequently, the air treatment has largely been replaced by calcium therapy. The calcium is usually administered adminis-tered in one of two forms. A 20 per cent solution of calcium choride in 125 to 250 cc. doses is being used very extensively. It is an irritating drug when in direct contact with tissues, hence it must be administered administer-ed directly into the blood stream and cannot be given subcutaneously or instanuscularly. If small amounts leak out into the tissues, necrosis and sloughing result. A 20 per cent solution of calcium gluconate compound com-pound in 250 cc. doses is also extensively ex-tensively used. It has the distinct advantage of being non-irritating and can therefore be given subcutaneously sub-cutaneously or intramuscularly or may be given directly into the blood stream. Intravenous injections produce pro-duce somewhat quicker results than do the other methods, because the calcium is immediately ready for 'metabolic processes. ! More recent studies indicate thatj I the parathyroid glands are associat-! jed with calcium metabolism. It hasi j also been demonstrated that the in-! jection of parathyroid extracts in! combination with calcium therapy is of special value in the treatment of I the more obstinate cases of milk! fever." |