Blood in milk syndrome, observed in a number of freshly calved dairy animals, has caught little attention of research workers. However, the losses caused to dairy farmers due to wastage of milk because of its discolouration, which renders it unfit for human consumption, sliould prompt an immediate, economical and effective treatment of the condition. Parenteral anticoagulants have been attempted with little success to cure it (Eddy and Clark, 1982). The haemostatic agents used in routine are costlier and are not 100 percent effective. So attempts have been made to use homeopathic medicines for the management of this syndrome (Pachauri et aI., 1994). Blue electricity has been recommended as an effective antihaemorrhagic drug in electropathy (Kumar, 1987) but there are no published reports of its trial in veterinary practice. It was, therefore, decided to test the drug in clinical cases of blood in milk.

The study was conducted on 60 clinical cases of blood in milk of freshly calved cross bread dairy cows of Moga and Ferozepur districts of Punjab. The affected cows were having discolouration of milk varying from pale pink to dark chocolate brown with no flakes on strip cup examination. Animals were randomly divided into two groups - A and B. Animals of gr A (50) were treated with blue electricity and half a teaspoonful of the drug was administered thrice a day orally for 4 days. Ten cases (gr B) kept as control, were given half a teaspoonful of distilled water with same frequency and duration. Milk was regularly checked for its colour and presence of flakes, if any, during each milking. The owners were asked to re-port recurrence of the condition, if any, in three weeks time. The results were analyzed statistically to calculate percent efficacy.

Out of total 50 cases in gr A, 42 animals were cured within 48-72 hr as the milk colour changed to normal indicating a cure rate of 84%. In control group, out of 10 cases, only one animal (10%) was cured and that too in 96 hr. Statistical analysis showed that cure rate in gr A (84%) was significantly (P<0.01) higher than that of gr B (10%). It construes from above that the drug cured blood in milk syndrome with good results. The owners of the cows cured with Blue Electricity did not report recurrence of the syndrome up to three weeks after discontinuation of therapy, which further supported the treatment regime. It is concluded that the drug can conveniently be used for the management of blood in milk syndrome as it is effect!ve and cheaper.

References
Eddy, R.G. and Clark, S.J. (1982). Blood in milk. Vet.
Rec. 110: 482.
Kumar, N. (1987). Materia Medica and Practice of Medi
cine in Electropathy, NEHM of India, New
Delhi.
Pachauri, S.P., Rajora, V.S., Upadhyay, A.K. and Gupta, G.C. (1994). Homoeopathic treatment for blood in milk of dairy cows. Indian J. Vet. med. 14 : 91.