DIABETES. 513 
standing in a straddling position with his back arched, and refusing to 
move withcut absolute compulsion. It is sometimes difficult to distin- 
guish nephritis from inflammation of the neck of the bladder, but by 
attending to the state of the urme, which is dark brown or black in the 
former case, and nearly of a natural colour in the latter, the one may be 
diagnosed from the other. To make matters still more clear, the oiled 
hand may be passed into the rectum, when in nephritis the bladder will 
be found contracted and empty (the urine being so pungent ‘as to irritate 
that organ), while in inflammation or spasm of its neck, if wiil be 
distended, often to a large size. The treatment to be adopted must be 
active, as the disease runs a very rapid course, and speedily ends in death 
if neglected. A large quantity of blood must at once be taken. The 
skin must be acted on energetically, so as to draw the blood to its surface, 
and if a Turkish bath (see page 268) is at hand, it will be highly bene- 
ficial. If not, the application of hot water, as recommended at page 491, 
may be tried, and in many cases it has acted like a charm. Failing the 
means for carrying out either of these remedies, the loins should be 
rubbed with an embrocation consisting of olive oil, liquor ammonie and 
laudanum in equal parts, but cantharides and turpentine must be carefully 
avoided, as likely to be abserbed, when they would add fuel to the fire. 
A fresh sheepskin should be warmed with hot (not boiling) water, and 
applied over the back, and the liniment should be rubbed in profusely 
every hour, restoring the skin to its place immediately afterwards. Mus- 
tard is sometimes used instead of ammonia, and as it is always at hand, it 
may form a good substitute, but it is not nearly so powerful an irritant to 
the skin as the latter, especially when evaporation is prevented by the 
sheepskin, or by a piece of any waterproof article. A mild aperient may 
be given, linseed oil being the best form, but if the bowels continue obsti- 
nate, and it is necessary to repeatit, eight or ten drops of croton oil may 
be added to a pint of the oil, great care being taken to assist its action by 
raking and injection, the latter being also useful as a fomentation to the 
kidneys. The dzet should consist of scalded linseed and bran mashes, no 
water being allowed without containing sufficient linseed tea to make it 
slightly glutinous, but not so much so as to nauseate the patient. If the 
symptoms are not greatly abated in six or eight hours, the bleeding must 
be repeated, for upon this remedy the chief dependence must be placed. 
A mild and soothing drench, composed of half an ounce of carbonate of 
soda, dissolved in six ounces of linseed tea, may be given every six hours, 
but little reliance can be placed upon it. The inflammation eifher abates 
after the bleeding, or the horse dies in a very few hours. 
Drasetes of late years has been much more frequent than was formerly 
the case, and especially among race-horses and hunters, probably owing to 
the enormous quantities of corn which they are allowed in the present 
day. But whatever may be the cause, the symptoms are clear enough, the 
horse constantly staling and passing large quantities of urine each time. 
The treatment should be conducted on the principle that the cause 
should if possible be ascertained and removed. Mowburnt hay will 
often bring on diabetes, and new oats have a similar tendency in 
delicate horses. In any case it is wise to make a total change in the food 
as far as it can possibly be done. Green meat will often check it at once, 
and a bran mash containing a few carrots has a similar chance of doing 
good. With these alterations in the quality of the food attention should 
also be paid to the quantity of the corn, which should be reduced if more 
than a peck a day has been given, and beans should be substituted for a 
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