724 DISEASES OF THE KIDNEYS. 



II. Nepheitis — Inflammation of the Kidneys. 



Inflammatory action having its seat in the kidney may be 

 general and dffuse, or may be confined to particular structures 

 and situations. The term nephritis, in its literal signification, 

 denoting inflammation of the kidneys, has come to include 

 various diseased conditions probably not properly inflamma- 

 tory. 



Usually these numerous morbid conditions have been 

 grouped under the two chief divisions of — (1) Inflammatory 

 action of varying characters attended with dropsy and albu- 

 minous urine ; (2) Inflammatory action unattended with dropsy 

 or albuminous urine. 



Of these morbid conditions, the first of which is usually con- 

 sidered under the generic term of ' Bright's Disease,' and 

 another manifestation, which, from the action being mainly 

 confined to the pelvis and calices of the kidneys, is separately 

 spoken of as ' Pyelitis,' we have fairly w^ell-marked examples 

 in our patients. 



1. Inflammatory Action of Varying Characters attended with 

 Dropsy and Albuminous Urine, a. Acute Tubal Nephritis. — 

 Following an acute attack of certain fevers in the horse, as 

 strangles or influenza, and some extensive inflammatory 

 invasions of internal organs, there is, on the subsidence of the 

 more acute stage, and on the first return to normal activity, a 

 large amount of effete and now deleterious matter, with 

 various cell-elements which have suffered death and are 

 undergoing removal, thrown into the blood. In the natural 

 course of exchange these waste materials fall in great part to 

 be eliminated by the kidneys. Upon the cell-elements of the 

 uriniferous tubes a large amount of this work is throAvn, while 

 their inability to execute it as rapidly as demanded is the 

 immediately developing agency in the j^i'oduction of conges- 

 tive and inflammatory action in the capillary system generally. 

 At the same time the action of the empoisoned blood upon 

 the cells of the urine-tubes themselves is destructive to their 

 individual life through impairment of their nutrition ; they 

 become detached, undergo change, and collect in the tubes. 



From the blood-pressure steadily exercised on the malpighian 

 vessels, both fluid and corpuscular elements are forced through 



