ACUTE CONGESTION OF THE KIDNEYS IN SOLIPEDS. 



Definition. Causes : bacteria, toxins, irritant diuretics, musty oats or 

 fodder, foul water, cantharides, turpentine, aqueous grasses, onions, moult- 

 ing, cold, chills, injuries to loins, over driving. Lesions : kidney enlarged, 

 red, black, softened, capsule loose, cut surface drops blood, brown, softened 

 necrosed areas, gorged capillaries of glomeruli and convoluted tubes, 

 granular or fatty changes in epithelium, may be ruptures. Symptoms : 

 sudden ; weak tender loins, slow dragging straddling gait, accelerated pulse 

 and breathing, anxious countenance, colics, sweating, urine from limpid to 

 black, with red globules, and casts. Prompt recovery or nephritis. Diag- 

 nosis : from nephritis, haemoglobinuria, laminitis, indigestion. Prevention : 

 Treatment : bleeding, laxatives, diffusible stimulant diuretics, bromides, 

 diluents, mucilaginous agents, fomentations, sinapisms, rectal injections, 

 clothing, friction to the skin, restricted laxative diet. 



Definition. Active congestion of the renal capillaries, especially 

 of those of the glomeruli and convoluted tubes, with colic}^ pains, 

 and free di.scharge of urine, in some cases bloodstained. 



Causes. It maj^ be determined by local irritation caused by the 

 passage of the bacteria and toxins of infectious diseases such as 

 influenza or contagious pneumonia. In the same way irritant 

 diuretics, medicinal, alimentary and toxic, operate. Diuretic 

 balls and condition powders given recklessly by stablemen and 

 grooms, saltpeter, resin, oleo resins, turpentine, rue, savin, col- 

 chicum, squill, anemone nemorosa, adonis, cynanchum vincetox- 

 icum and other species of ascelepias, hellebore, mercurialis annua 

 and bryony are examples. The young shoots of the coniferous 

 plants, fir, balsam fir, pine, white and yellow, and hemlock, 

 are at times injurious. 



In the same way, damp moldy oats or fodder produce renal 

 congestion and excessive polyuria, also corrupt, stagnant water 

 and that of marshes which often contains complex toxic products 

 of fermentation. Water of ponds in which cantharides or potato 

 beetles have been drowned, is dangerous. The cantharides, eu- 

 phorbium or oil of turpentine applied too extensively to the skin 

 as a counterirritant, is another factor. 



Even the rich aqueous grasses of spring succeeding to the dry 

 winter diet, stimulate the kidneys, determining an active conges- 

 tion with polyuria and in bad cases haematuria. In many such 

 14 209 



