114 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



Not only are these organs alike channels for the excretion of albu- 

 minous products, but they are also related to each other structurally 

 and by nervous sympathy, so that sutt'ering in the one is liable to 

 induce some measure of disorder in the other. 



As in the case of other mammals, this nitrogenous waste matter is 

 mainly present in the urine of cattle in tlie form of urea, but also, to 

 some extent, as hippuric acid, a derivative of vegetable food which, in 

 the herbivora, replaces the uric acid found in the urine of man and 

 carnivora. Uric acid is, however, found in the urine of sucking 

 calves which have practically an animal diet, and it may also appear 

 in the adult in case of absolute, prolonged starvation, and in diseases 

 attended with complete loss of appetite and rapid wasting of the 

 body. In such cases the animal lives on its own substance, and the 

 product is that of the wasting flesh. 



The other products containing nitrogen are present in only small 

 quantities and need not be specially referred to. The urine of cattle 

 contains much less of carbonates than that of the horse, and effer- 

 vesces less on the addition of an acid. As the carbonates form 

 a large proportion of the solid deposits (gravel, stone) from the 

 horse's urine, the ox may thus be held less liable, yet even in the ox 

 the carbonates become abundant or scanty, according to the nature 

 of the feed, and therefore gravel, formed by carbonate of lime, is not 

 infrequent in cattle. When fed on beets, clover hay. or bean straw 

 carbonates are present in large quantities, these aliments being rich 

 in organic acids and alkaline carbonates; whereas upon oat straw, 

 barley straw, and, above all, wheat straw, they are in small amount. 

 In calves fed on milk alone no carbonates are found in the urine. 



Phosphates, usually in combination with lime, are, as a rule, pres- 

 ent only in traces in the urine of cattle: however, on a dietary of 

 wheat, bran, or other aliment rich in phosphates, these may be pres- 

 ent in large amount, so that they render the liquid cloudy or are 

 deposited in solid crystals. The liquid is rendered transparent by 

 nitric acid. 



The coAv's urine, on a diet of hay and potatoes, contained : 



Parts. 



Urea 18. 5 



Potassic hippurate 16.5 



Alkaline lactates 17. 2 



Potassium bicarbonate 16. 1 



Magnesium carbonate 4.7 



Lime carbonate 0.6 



Potassium sulpliate 3. 6 



Common salt 1.5 



Silica Trace 



Phosphates 0. 



Water and uiuleternnne<l substances .^_ ' 921.3 



Total 1.000.0 



