INFLAMMATION OF THE KIDNEYS. 231 



tions, has its \watery parts, and others, the retaining of which 

 would be injurious, separated from it. 



The fluid thus separated (the urine), varies materially in quan- 

 tity and composition during health. There is no organ in the horse 

 so much under our command ; and there are no medicines so use- 

 ful, or may be so injurious, as diuretics (those which increase the 

 evacuation of urine), such as nitre and digitalis. They stimulate 

 the kidneys to separate more watery fluid from the blood, and 

 thus reduce the circulation, lowering inflammation and calming 

 excitement. They cause the removal of that fluid in the cellu- 

 lar substance of the legs of the horse, which causes them so often 

 to swell. The legs of many horses cannot be rendered fine, or 

 kept so, without the use of diuretics ; nor can grease — often con- 

 nected with these sM'^ellings, producing them or caused by them 

 — be otherwise subdued. It is on this account that diuretics are 

 raidied among the most useful of veterinary medicines. 



In injudicious hands, however, these medicines are sadly 

 abused. Among the absurdities of stable management, there is 

 nothing so injurious as the frequent use of diuretics. Not only 

 are the kidneys often over-excited, weakened, and disposed to 

 disease, but the whole frame becomes debilitated. There is like- 

 wise one important fact of which the groom or the horseman sel- 

 dom thinks, viz : — That when he is removing these humors by 

 the imprudent use of diuretics, he is only attacking a symptom 

 or a consequ^^nce of disease, and not the disease itself. The leg& 

 will fill again, and the grease will return. While the cause 

 remains, the effect will be produced. 



In the administration of diuretics, one thing should be attc ''ded 

 to, and the good effect of which the testimony of every intelli- 

 gent man will confirm : the horse should have plenty to drink. 

 Not only will inflammation be prevented, but the operation of 

 the mediciiie will be much promoted. 



IKFLAMMATIOX OF THE KIDN"EYS. 



This is no uncommon disease in the horse, and is more un- 

 skilfully and fatally treated than almost any other. The early 

 symptoms are those of fever generally, but the seat of the dis- 

 ease soon becomes evident. The horse looks anxiously round at 

 his flanks ; stands with his hinder legs wide apart ; is unwilling 

 to lie down ; straddles as he walks ; expresses pain in turning ; 

 shrinks when the loins are pressed, and some degree of heat is 

 felt there. The urine is voided in small quantities : frequently 

 it is high-colored, and sometimes bloody. The attempt to urin- 

 ate becomes more frequent, and the quantity voided smaller, 

 until the animal strains painfully and violently, but the discharge 



