DISEASES OF THE VRIKARV ORGANS. 143 



Prevention. — The prevention of this serious afTeotion lies in re- 

 stricting the diet and giving daily exercise when the animal is not 

 at work. A horse that has had one attack should never be left idle 

 for a single day in the stall or barnyard. When a horse has l)een 

 condemned to absolute repose on good feeding he may have a laxa- 

 tive (one-half to 1 pound (Jlauber's salt), and liave graduated ex- 

 ercise, beginning with a shoi-t walk and increasing day by day. 



7'reafnu'nt. — The treatment of the mild cases may consist in a laxa- 

 tive, graduated daily exercise, and a daily dose of saltpeter (1 ounce). 

 Sudden attacks will sometimes promptly subside if taken on the 

 instant and the subject kept still and calmed by a dose of bromid 

 of potassium (4 drams) and sweet spirits of niter (1 ounce). The 

 latter has the advantage of increasing the secretion of the kidneys, 

 lodid of potassium in one-half ounce doses every four hours has 

 succeeded well in some hands. In severe cases, as a rule, it is desir- 

 able to begin treatment by a dose of aloes (4 to G drams) with the 

 above-named dose of bromid of potassium, and this latter may be 

 continued at intervals of four or six hours, as may be requisite to 

 calm the nervous excitement. Fomentations with warm water over 

 the loins are always useful in calming the excitable conditions of the 

 spinal cord, muscles, liver, and kidneys, and also in favoring secre- 

 tion from the two latter. On the second day diuretics may be re- 

 sorted to, such as saltpeter one-half ounce, and powdered colchicum 

 one-half dram, to be repeated twice daily. A laxative may be re- 

 peated in thi'ee or four days should the bowels seem to demand it. 

 and as the nervous excitement disappears any remaining nuiscular 

 weakness or paralysis may be treated by one-half dram doses of nux 

 vomica twice a day and a stimulating liniment (a(iua ammonia and 

 sweet oil in equal proportions) rubbed on the torpid muscles. 



During the course of the disease friction to the limbs is useful, and 

 in the advanced paralytic stage the application of electricity along 

 the line of the atTected muscles. When the patient can not stand he 

 must have a thick, soft bed, and should be turned from side to side 

 at least e\erv twelve hours. As soon as he can be made to stand he 

 may be helped up and even supported in a sling. 



ACUTE INFLAiMMATION OF THE KIDNEYS, OR ACUTE NEPHRITIS. 



Inflammations of the kidneys have been diffeicntiated widely, ac- 

 coi-ding as they were acute or chronic, ])arenchymatous or tubal, sup- 

 purative or not, with increased or shrunken kidney, etc. In a work 

 like the present, however, utility will be consulted by classing all 

 under acute or chronic inflammation. 



Causes. — The causes of inflammation of the kidneys are extremely 

 varied- Congestion occurs from the altered and irritant products 

 passed through these organs during recovery from inflanunations of 



