OF FARRIERY. 



141 



CHAPTER XTII. 



OF DIABETES, OR PROFUSE STALING; BLOODY URINE AND 

 STRANGUARY, OR THE OBSTRUCTION OF THE URINE. 



DLABETES, OR PROFUSE STALING. 



This disease is not frequently found in the 

 Horse, but it is occasionally so, it tlierefore 

 deserves our notice. The appearances of it 

 are great thirst, with a voracious appetite, 

 gradual emaciation of the whole body, and a 

 frequent discharge of urine, containing a large 

 proportion of saccharine, and other matter, 

 which is voided even in a quantity exceeding 

 that of the aliment or fluid introduced ; these 

 are the characteristics of this disease. But it 

 is always much milder when symptomatic, 

 tlian when it appears as a primary affection. 



Diabetes may be occasioned by the too fre- 

 quent use of strong diuretic medicines, severe 

 evacuations, or by any thing that tends to 

 produce an impoverished state of the blood, or 

 general debility, such as bad hay, heated oats, 

 and very frequently from foreign oats that 

 have been long on their passage, either from 

 the Baltic, or Ireland. It has, however, taken 

 place in many instances, without an obvious 

 cause. 



That which immediately gives rise to the 

 disease, has ever been considered as obscure, 

 and various theories have been advanced on 

 the occasion. It has been usual to consider 

 diabetes as the effect of relaxation of the kid- 



neys, or as depending on a general colliquation 

 of the fluids. The liver has been thought, by 

 some, to be the chief source of the disease ; 

 but diabetes is hardly ever attended with any 

 affection of this organ. 



The primary seat of the disease is, how- 

 ever, far from being absolutely determined in 

 favour of any hypothesis yet advanced ; and 

 from the most attentive consideration of all the 

 circumstances, the weight of evidence appears 

 to induce the majority of practitioners to con- 

 sider diabetes as dependent on a primary 

 affection of the kidneys. 



Diabetes sometimes comes on so slowly and 

 imperceptibly, without any previous dis- 

 order, that it now and then arises to a con- 

 siderable degree, and subsists long without 

 being accompanied with evident disorder 

 in any particular part of the system ; the 

 great thirst which always, and the voracious 

 appetite which frequently occur in it, being 

 often the only remarkable symptoms ; but 

 it now generally happens that a consider- 

 able affection of the stomach precedes the 

 coming on of the disease ; and that in its pro- 

 gress, besides the symptoms already men- 

 tioned, there is great dryness and roughness of 

 the coat of the Horse. 



Under a long continuance of the disease. 

 2n 



