mSEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 236 



when laid upon a board, they flattened like soft dough. Tlie liver 

 was softened, or, as it is generally called, rotten. It appeared 

 pale, was of a clay color externally, and could be broken down 

 with the slightest pressure. The stomach was healthy, and con- 

 tained about four quarts of fluid. The thoracic viscera healthy; 

 heart, large and firm ; lungs, sound, but discolored, doubtless :i'tii 

 lying so 1 )ng after death. 



An idea suggests itself in regard to the case now under consid- 

 eration : that the liver did not properly prepare the blocd for the 

 secretion of the urine; hence the morbid condition of the kidneys 

 and bladder. But, although these organs are shown to have been 

 exercising a diseased secretory action, yet doubtless the primary 

 Beat of the affection was in the digestive apparatus, the stomach, 

 and more particularly the liver. This question is not only a very 

 important one in a })athological point of view, but it is also one 

 of peculiar interest to the practitioner in his treatment of disease. 

 It directs him to the proper remedies to employ, and the action 

 of these remedies on the organs affected. In the treatment of all 

 diseases, it is not only necessary to understand the cause, but to 

 know the organ or viscus affected." 



Albuminous Urine ("Thick Water"). 



This is rather a rare disease among horses; yet, as it does occa- 

 sionally occur, it may be proper to take some notice of it. Those 

 eases which have come under the author's notice have occurred in 

 animals of the scrofulous diathesis, most of which animals had a 

 scurfy skin, and were otherwise unthrifty, just the subjects for 

 disease of the kidneys ; for it is well known that when the excre- 

 mentitious function of the skin is interrupted, the kidneys have 

 to perform double labor. Their function is then overtaxed ; henr*', 

 disease. 



Albuminous urine is often associated with various forms cf dis- 

 ease, or, rather, is the result of disease, or may follow the use of 

 improper medicines or bad food. Such are said to be the cause 

 of this malady (functional) in the human ; and, reasoning from 

 analogy, we infer that the same causes operate on the horse, for 

 all the functions of his body are carried on after the same general 

 plan that obtains in the body of man. 



Watson teaches us " tliat some articles of food, and sonip niedi- 



