370 SCANTY EMISSION OF URINE. 



labours severely, and perspires freely in consequence, the kidneys 

 will not secrete that amount of fluid which they would do if 

 the animal was placed in circumstances of an opposite character. 

 The kidneys of a horse living upon dry food will necessarily 

 secrete less water in the urine than the kidneys of another 

 horse living upon succulent food, or diet of a watery nature. 

 A purgative given to a horse, if followed by a brisk action upon 

 the intestines, will greatly reduce the amount of fluid within 

 the body, and for days after the " setting" as it is termed, of 

 the physic, the animal will urinate very scantily; yet it is a 

 common practice with farriers and people who are ignorant of 

 what they are doing, to give the horse diuretics to remedy what 

 they designate " a stoppage of the oss's kidneys." 



"Working horses secrete less water in the urine in summer 

 than in winter ; and lastly, scantiness of the urinary secretion, 

 arising from natural causes, is a very common fact ; and if such 

 horses are healthy it is better not to give them medicine, but 

 rather to regulate the defect (if defect it is) by a judicious diet, 

 and now and then allo^\dng the animal a few quarts of barley- 

 water. 



Indigestion will cause scantiness of urine: when arising from 

 this source, the animal is hide-bound ; the appetite bad, or it 

 may be ravenous ; the hair is penfeathered, and the bowels 

 constipated. In cases of this kind the cause should be looked 

 to. The best remedies for the purpose are — Nux Vomica, 

 Arsenicum, small doses of Aloes, or Pepsine. See Article 

 "Indigestion," page 314. See also pages 169 and 170. 



SPASM OF THE BLADDER. 



EETENTION OP THE UEINE. 



Spasm at the neck of the Bladder is an aflection very likely 

 to be mistaken for Colic. The symptoms of both diseases to 

 the inexperienced or careless observer are similar. 



