Symptoiiis, Course. 993 



The renal epithelia (Fig. 172) are larger than the red blood corpuscles, rounded 

 or quadrangular, containing a moderately large nucleus around which the protoplasnr 

 is usually granular and covered with fat globules. The epithelial cells are some- 

 times united into elongated cylindrical shapes (epithelial casts; Fig. 173.2). The 

 other casts are either quite homogeneous (hyaline casts) or unevenly granular 

 (granular casts), perhaps covered with fat globules, red or white blood corpuscles, 

 sometimes with small crystals (Fig. 173, 174). In the urine of horses the calcium 

 carbonate granules are also united into cylindrical formations, but are readily dif- 

 ferentiated because they disappear with the development of gas after the addition 

 of acids. 



In severe cases edematous swellings sometimes develop 

 in the subcutaneous connective tissue, on the lower chest and 

 abdomen, on the eyelids, in the larynx, on the extremities, etc., 

 and sometimes serous effusion may be demonstrated in the 

 body cavities. 



The nutrition of the animals always suffers more or less; 

 anemia develops after a comparatively short time the more 

 so as the appetite is dimin- 

 ished, and vomiting occurs 

 readilj^ in carnivora. In 

 very severe cases the debil- 

 ity increases rapidly; the 

 pulse is more and more ac- 

 celerated and feeble. Fi- 

 nally pulmonary edema or 

 acute uremia (p. 983) termi- 

 nate the case. 



Course. Recovery from 

 acute parenchjanatous ne- 

 phritis usually occurs in a 

 few days or in 1 to 2 weeks, 



Fig. 172. Urinary sediment of a horse with 

 acute diffuse nephritis, a renal epithelia 



provided the basic affection with broken up, h the same with uninjured 

 itself does not endanger the nuclei, c mononuclear white blood corpuscles, 



life of the animal; the al- 

 buminuria diminishes rapidly and disappears completely with 

 the recovery of the animal. Only rarely the disease passes 

 into acute diffuse nephritis, but it sometimes probably prepares 

 the soil for the later development of a chronic nephritis. 

 Generally acute parenchymatous nephritis in itself only indi- 

 cates the intensity of an infection or intoxication, but does 

 not in itself immediately endanger the life of the animal. 



On the other hand acute diffuse nephritis lasts 1 to 2 weeks 

 on an average, and ends in death, possibly in recovery, or 

 gradually passes into a chronic inflammation. The commencing 

 improvement is indicated by the increase in the amount of 

 urine, which is at the same time lighter in color; its specific 

 gravity becomes lower and the albuminuria gradually disap- 

 pears. In the cases with fatal termination the quantity of 

 urine is permanently diminished, it contains much blood, the 

 appetite is lost entirely, the temperature persistently high; 



