POLYURIA. 457 



ment. The practitioner may, however, try the administra- 

 tion of potassse iodid., etc. 



Floating Kidney. — One or both kidneys may be displaced. 

 Professor Williams mentions a case of this kind, in which 

 the kidney, under the supposition that it was a tumour, 

 was removed from the side of a cat, the operation ap- 

 parently causing very little or no inconvenience to the 

 animal. It is a condition rarely met with. 



POLYURIA. 



This disease is also known by the names ' diabetes 

 insipidus,' ' diuresis,' ' profuse staHng,' etc. Polyuria is 

 a dietetic disease, or in other words, is primarily due 

 to a deranged condition of the digestive system, which, 

 causing an alteration in the condition of the blood, gives 

 rise to an excessive secretion and discharge of urine, of a 

 clear or colourless appearance, and of a low specific gravity. 



Causes. — In a large majority of cases polyuria is due to 

 faulty dieting, such as feeding the animal on damaged corn, 

 and mouldy hay or beans, about the months of June, July, 

 August, and September, when the beans are getting too 

 old. Food of any kind, if of an inferior quality, may cause 

 the disease. In many cases the continued use of impure 

 or stagnant water may also give rise to polyuria, or it 

 may occur as a result of some debilitating disease, such as 

 strangles, influenza, etc. ; in such cases it generally appears 

 in the convalescent stage, usually about the tenth day 

 from the beginning of the attack, and under such circum- 

 stances is regarded as by no means a bad symptom. It 

 may also be produced by the too free, or continued, use of 

 diuretics. 



Symjyioms. — The animal exhibits dulness of a well-marked 

 character, languor characterizing every movement. The 



