Symptoms. Course, Diagnosis. 921 



Course and Prognosis. The polyuria which develops after 

 the ingestion of spoiled fodder usually improves soon and dis- 

 appears if the fodder is changed in good time. But the longer 

 the injurious factor has been active the smaller becomes the 

 probability of complete cure and the longer will be the period 

 of convalescence. In the neglected cases which have passed 

 into actual diabetes the condition becomes gradually aggravated 

 as far as the establishment of absolute cachexia, when the ani- 

 mals perish if a complication has not caused death in the mean- 

 while. The disease usually extends over months, in rare cases 

 it lasts even more than two years (Greve, Dieckerhoff). 



If the diabetes insipidus appears spontaneously or in con- 

 sequence of a nervous affection it also usually takes a pro- 

 longed course with fatal termination. 



Diagnosis. Simple polyuria is differentiated from diabetes 

 insipidus by its transitory character, the polyuria of diabetes 

 persisting in spite of appropriate regulation of diet, and being 

 moreover accompanied by emaciation and debility of the ani- 

 mals. Diabetes mellitus is diiferentiated from diabetes insipidus 

 by the increased specific gravity and the sugar content of the 

 urine, chronic nephritis by the existing albuminuria. 



On the basis of investigations by E. Meyer and F. Miiller true 

 diabetes insipidus is diagnosed by determining the toleration for sodium 

 chloride. This is done as follows: The daily amount of urine is ascer- 

 tained for several days during which food poor in albumen and sodium 

 chloride is given. Then 20 gm. of sodium chloride per day is added 

 to the same kind of food for one or several days. If the amount of 

 urine had previously been diminished and now shows an unduly great 

 increase, the case in question is one of true diabetes insipidus, since 

 in polyuria the ingestion of sodium chloride has no particular in- 

 fluence on the amount of urine secreted. An exception is observed 

 only in the polyuria of indurative nephritis which, however, is easily 

 recognized from other symptoms (Liithje). 



Treatment. If the disease is due to faulty diet a change 

 of fodder is requisite, in which the spoiled fodder is replaced 

 by feed of unobjectionable character. If the disease has existed 

 not more than a few weeks and the strength of the animal is 

 still preserved the symptoms may be removed by a simple regu- 

 lation of diet. If a change of food is not possible, the fodder 

 at hand may be improved materially by frequent turning over 

 or ventilating and by removing the badly spoiled portions. It 

 appears, however, even more appropriate to feed small por- 

 tions of the spoiled food mixed with such that is perfect. It 

 is to be observed that a regulation of diet renders good service 

 also in such cases in which the disease cannot be referred to 

 inappropriate keeping of the animals. For horses the best 

 feed is good, clean and dry oats and palatable hay, but in 

 the warm seasons green feed should be given. According to 



