DISEASES Oft HORSES 197 



Salicylic acid and salicylate of sodium have proved useful in certain 

 cases; also phosphate of sodium. Bitter tonics (especially nux 

 vomica one-half dram) are useful in improving the digestion and 

 general health. 



BLOODY URINE, OR HEMATURIA. 



Cause. As seen in the horse, bloody urine is usually the direct 

 result of mechanical injuries, as sprains and fractures of the loins, 

 irritation 'caused by stone in the kidney, ureter, bladder, or urethra. 

 It may, however, occur with acute congestion of the kidneys, with 

 tumors in its substance, or other diseased growth in the bladder. 

 Acrid diuretic plants present in the food may also lead to the escape 

 of blood from the kidney. The predisposition to this affection is, 

 however, incomparably less than in the case of the ox or the sheep, 

 the difference being attributed to the greater plasticity of the horse's 

 blood in connection with the larger quantity of fibrin. 



The blood may be present in small clots or in more or less inti- 

 mate admixture with the urine. Its condition may furnish some 

 indication as to its source ; thus, if from the kidneys it is more likely 

 to be uniformly diffused through the urine, while as furnished by the 

 bladder or passages clots are more likely to be present. Again, in 

 bleeding from the kidney, minute cylindrical clots inclosing blood 

 globules can be detected under the microscope. Precision also may 

 be approximated by observing whether there is coexisting fracture, 

 sprain of the loins, or stone or tumor in the bladder or urethra. 



Treatment. The disease being mainly due to direct injury, 

 treatment will consist, first, in removing such cause whenever pos- 

 sible, and then in applying general and local styptics. Irritants in 

 food must be avoided, sprains appropriately treated, and stone in 

 bladder or urethra removed. Then give mucilaginous drinks (slip- 

 pery elm, linseed tea) freely, and styptics (tincture of chloride of 

 iron 3 drams, acetate of lead ^ dram, tannic acid % dram, or oil of 

 turpentine 1 ounce). If the discharge is abundant, apply cold water 

 to the loins and keep the animal perfectly still. 



HEMOGLOBINURIA (AZOTURIA, ZOTEMIA, POISONING BY 

 ALBUMINOIDS) . 



Like diabetes, this is rather a disease of the liver and blood- 

 forming functions than of the kidney, but as prominent symptoms 

 are loss of control over the hind limbs and the passage of ropy and 

 dark-colored urine, the vulgar idea is that it is a disorder of the 

 urinary organs. It is a complex affection directly connected with a 

 plethora in the blood of nitrogenized constituents, with extreme 

 nervous and muscular disorder and the excretion of a dense reddish 

 or brownish urine. It is directly connected with high feeding, 

 especially on highly nitrogenized food (oats, beans, pease, vetches, 

 cotton-seed meal) , and with a period of idleness in the stall under full 

 rations. The disease is never seen at pasture, rarely under constant 

 daily work, even though the feeding be high, and the attack is usually 

 precipitated by taking the horse from the stable and subjecting it to 

 exercise or work. The poisoning is not present when taken from the 

 stable, as the horse is likely to be noticeably lively and spirited, but 



