Chapter 23 Summary

Herriot is called out to the case of milk fever in a cow. Milk fever occurs when a cow suddenly suffers a dramatic depletion of calcium in its blood stream. The cow goes down and cannot rise. It usually effects cows that are good milkers and shortly after they calve. This means that the situation is even more severe, as two lives are at stake.

This particular cow belongs to Dan Cooper, a nice farmer with a wife who is thought to be quite mean. Cooper thinks that the cow that is lying in a stream is done for, but Herriot pulls out a new remedy that consists of injecting a large amount calcium intravenously and subcutaneously. Herriot gives the cow her first dose, but nothing happens. He moves to the subcutaneous injection and waits for a few minutes. Suddenly, the cow begins...