336 INFLAMMATION OF THE KIDNEYS. 



ites with every groom, may produce it. It may terminate 

 in resolution, suppuration, or gangrene. 



Symptoms. — Dull appearance ; pain expressed by looking 

 at the flanks ; urine made frequent and in small quantities, 

 with much effort or groaning ; often red or bloody, and as 

 the inflammation increases almost wholly suppressed : still 

 attempts are made by the bladder to evacuate, and the 

 mucous secretion from the organ and urethra only are 

 pressed out with much pain. Pulse at first rather hard, 

 frequent, and somewhat full ; but, as the disease advances, 

 it becomes smaller, oppressed, and intensely quick. The 

 animal stands with his legs wide apart, as though going 

 to stale, and shrinks when the loins are pressed. If it ba 

 an entire horse, the spermatic glands are alternately drawn 

 close to the belly, and pendulous or relaxed. To dis- 

 tinguish it from inflammation of the body of the bladder, or 

 from spasm of the neck of that organ, the horse should be 

 examined by passing the hand up the rectum ; when, if the 

 inflammation exists in the kidneys, the bladder, whether it 

 contain any thing or not, will not be hotter than the sur- 

 rounding parts, or more tender : but should the affection 

 be confined to the body of the bladder, it will be surely 

 found empty, but very hot and painful to the touch : if 

 again spasm of the neck of the bladder, as sometimes hap- 

 pens, should be the seat of the disease, no heat or tender- 

 ness will be felt, but the bladder will be found distended with 

 urine. The horse shows much disinclination to move, and 

 when forced out straddles as he progresses. 



The treatment must be directed to the equalization of 

 the arterial action. Back-rake ; throw^ up frequent clysters, 

 consisting of cold water, in every gallon of which one ounce 

 of sulphuric ether, and one ounce of crude opium, are dis- 

 solved ; both with a view to promote a soluble state of 

 bowels, and to act as a fomentation to the inflamed organs ; 

 and if any costiveness be present, give a purgative without 

 any diuretic substance intermixed. It should, because aloes 

 contain resin, consist of linseed oil a pint and a half, in 

 which a drachm of chloroform is mingled, and one half of 

 this may be repeated in six hours, if the animal display no 

 improvement. It will be prudent also to endeavour at 

 exciting an external inflammation on the loins. The use of 



