HI Jan., 1909.] Diseases of Farm Animals. 



43 



Icidneys to relieve the blood of its excess of biliary matter and the urine 

 will be changed in composition. In the former case it will contain only 

 the biliary pigments or colouring matter which is formed in the blood from 

 decomposition of the haematin of the red blood copuscles. In the latter 

 case it will contain in addition the bile acids which have been formed 

 during the process of secretion of bile by the liver. Hence a means of 

 diagnosis of the two conditions is ready to hand in the analysis of the 

 urine by Gmelin's test for bile pigments and Pettenkofer's test for bile 

 acids*. 



The jaundice resulting from non-secretion of bile is simply a symptom 

 of liver disturbance and will be treated of in another chapter. That 

 however resulting from reabsorption of secreted bile has usually nothing to 

 do with the liver and will require different treatment — usually an aloetic 

 purgative — physic ball in the case of the horse — is prescribed for the 

 purpose of removing any obstruction to the onward flow of bile through 

 the intestines. 



The SYMPTOMS of jaundice are : — yellowness of the visible mucous 

 membranes — eye, nostril, &c. ; slow pulse; torpidity and flatulence of the 

 bowels ; faeces scanty, dry — and may be dark coloured ; urine high 

 coloured, thick and gummy or mucilaginous; in milch cows the milk be- 

 comes deepened in colour. The animal is dull, lethargic and debilitated 

 and has little or no appetite. 



Rheumatism. 



Although it is likely that rheumatism will be proved to be an infective 

 or germ disease, the experiments of Poynton and Paine (1902) seeming to 

 establish the existing of a specific diplococius in the blood, it is preferred 

 to treat of it here as a blood disease on account of the excess of certain 

 minerals (principally bi-urate of sodium, lactic and lithic acids) in the 

 blood being an almost constant association of the disease. In any case 

 only slight reference is considered necessary for it has been by no means 

 well established that rheumatism at all commonly, if ever, affects animals. 

 As remarked by Hayes, " a verdict of rheumatism is not unfrequently 

 used as a convenient ' get out ' by persons who in certain cases are unable 

 to determine the cause of lameness or pain" but that by no means establishes 

 the prevalence of the disease. Occasionally cases are seen presenting 

 symptoms corresponding to those exhibited in acute rheumatic fever in 

 man and some horses are affected with intermittent and metastatic lameness, 

 which is ascribed to rheumatism but which it would be perhaps more cor- 

 rectly to consider as gout. An undoubtedly gouty habit is shown by 

 some horses when indulged with a highly nutritious diet without a corre- 

 spondingly heavy amount of exercise. It is exhibited by a stiffness in move- 

 ment in the stable and stiffness awkwardness or actual lameness for a 

 time on being put to ordinary work. 



Conforming however to the accepted notion of the prevalence of rheu- 

 matism in animals the following remarks are submitted : — 



The disease is stated to be brought on by exposure to dampness and 

 cold especially after profuse perspiration. There is decreased activity 

 of the skin of an accumulation within the blood of the normal consti- 

 tuents of sweat. It may become localized in the loins, causing lumbago 

 or " chine felon " in cattle, or in the valves of the heart or in the joints 



For the details of these tests any work on Practical Chemistry may be consulted. 



