observations of a number of practitioners, at what period of the cow's life the animal is most liable to be attacked with puerperal fever; the agriculturist and cow-keeper would be able, in a considerable degree, to guard against it, either by feeding the animal, or taking such other steps as a like experience proved to be the best. It is of no earthly use practitioners writing 'grandiloquent' papers upon diseases like puerperal fever; or in their telling the world, that puerperal fever is a disease of the nervous system; or that the name which is given to it is very improper, _and not suggestive; or that bleeding and the administration of a powerful purgative are proper to commence with_; together with hosts of stereotyped statements of a like nature--statements which are unceasingly repeated, and which are without one jot of sound experience to substantiate them. [All good and sound doctrine.] "Question First. _At what period of their lives are cows the most liable to be attacked with puerperal fever?_ I have in my possession notes and memoranda of twenty-nine cases of this disease, which notes and memoranda I have collected from cases I have treated from the month of July, 1842, to the month of July, 1849--a period of seven years; and with reference to the above question the figures stand thus: Out of the twenty-nine, three of them were attacked at the third parturient period, five ditto at the fourth, sixteen at the fifth, two at the sixth, and three at the eighth. "It appears, then, from the above numbers, that cows are the most liable to puerperal fever at the fifth parturient period--a fact which is noticed by Mr. Barlow. "Secondly. _At what period after the animal has calved does the disease generally supervene?_ With reference to this question, the twenty-nine cases stand thus:-- 5 cows immediately after parturition. 8 " in 20 hours " " 6 " in 23 " " " 5 " in 24 " " " 3 " in 30 " " " 2 " in 36 " " " 1 " in 72 " " " "It appears, then, from the above, that after the twentieth and twenty-fourth hours, the animals, comparatively speaking, may be considered as safe from the disease; and that after the seventy-second or seventy-third hour, all danger may be considered as past, beyond doubt. "Thirdly. _What is the average rate of mortality amongst cows attacked with this disease?_ Out of the 29 cases, 12, I find, recovered and 17 died; which loss is equivalent to somewhere about 59 per cent.--a loss which, I am inclined to think, is not so great as that of many other practitioners. [It will be still less if you reject poison as well as the lancet.]