ABSCESS. 467 



sessiiig its natuTol character. Inflammation of the neck of 

 the bladder will produce suppression of the urinary discharge, 

 or suffer but a little to pass, and may so far at first mislead 

 us : we have but to examine the bladder, however, to set us 

 right in our diagnosis ; should that prove distended with 

 healthy urine, we shall have evidence enough that the fault 

 does not lie in the kidneys. With our hand in the rectum, 

 we may reach as far as we can towards the kidneys, with a 

 view of ascertaining if there be any unusual heat to be felt, 

 or tenderness created, expressed by the animal. 



The Terminations of nephritis are resolution, suppuration, 

 condensation and scirrkus, softening, mortification. I believe 

 the termination most likely to ensue to be suppuration of the 

 mucous surfaces of the organ — of its infundibula and pelvis, 

 a case in which the matter ])asses ofi" along with the urine : 

 though the substance of the gland, as well as the pelvis, has 

 been known to become itself the seat of abscess. 



Mr. Tombs has related a case of acute nephritis, in ' The 

 Veterinarian^ for 1844, in which, with symptoms of suffer- 

 ing and irritation, the horse was " frequently staling urine, 

 thick and pale-coloured." He died on the third day, and 

 all the parts were found in health excepting half of the 

 right kidney, which was in a state of suppuration. 



ABSCESS — SOFTENING MORTIFICATION. 



An interesting example of this is given by D'Arboval : 

 " A mare fell into a hole, out of which she was got with 

 great difficulty. From that moment she experienced incon- 

 venience in locomotion : the vertebral column appeared in- 

 flexible ; the pulse tense and irregular; the urine scanty, thick, 

 and sometimes mingled with streaks of blood. The mare lay 

 down but little, not being able to raise herself up again with- 

 out great pain. M. Chouard being called to her, perceived 

 at the superior part of the right flank a considerable swelling 

 which had been there some time, and had continued 

 to augment from day to day without any sign of inflamma- 

 tion. At the end of a month he opened the tumour, p.nd let 



