376 AZOTURIA. 



occur in mares than geldings. This statement I am disposed 

 to corroborate to a large extent ; and although I have not in 

 many of these instances of females been able to affirm that its 

 appearance was contemporaneous with the period of oestrum, 

 still there appears nothing incongruous or improbable that it 

 should be so. 



Mr. Williams, in his work on 'Veterinary Medicine,' accounts 

 for this, which seems admitted, on two grounds : (1) That mares 

 are, when in this condition, often detained in the stable for 

 some days ; (2) that at this period they are in a highly excitable 

 condition, and more apt to suffer from spasmodic diseases. 

 In lighter harness or carriage horses the first explanation is 

 tenable enough ; but in agricultural animals it cannot be said to 

 obtain, as I am not aware that any attention whatever is paid 

 to them at the period of oestrum. The other is quite satisfac- 

 tory, and might be enlarged upon by stating that, as a rule, the 

 female is more susceptible of nervous excitement than the male. 



c. Anatomical Appearance and Characters of the Urine. — 

 The structural changes observable in such cases as terminate 

 fatally, when viewed apart from the history of the a23pearance 

 t)f the disease and development of the symptoms, may not be 

 ^particularly diagnostic ; they are, however, usually extensively 

 distributed. The blood is dark in colour, semi-fluid, partly 

 coagulated in both sides of the heart ; there is general con- 

 gestion throughout the body, in the glandular system of the 

 abdomen particularly so, the spleen and liver often simulating 

 the after-death appearances of anthrax. The great muscles of 

 the loins and haunches are in some instances heightened in 

 colour, and the interconnective tissue stained with coloured 

 serum. The great nerve-centres may or may not give evidence 

 of hyperemia. The bladder frequently contains urine of a 

 dirty, grumous coffee colour, with a similarly stained condition 

 of the lining-membrane. 



The very obvious changes which the urinary secretion has 

 undergone have constituted these a diagnostic feature, so much so 

 as to have warranted the founding upon this peculiar condition 

 the name by which this generally disordered state is recognised. 



In an examination of this secretion it is needful, for the 

 correct appreciation of its characters, to do so immediately, or 

 as soon as possible after being voided.^ This is the more 



