14 



Transparency. The urine of the horse is normally more 

 or less opaque, that of man should be transparent at the time 

 of passing. Many pathological urines, however, are ;^erfectly 

 clear. Pathological turbidity may be due to urates, phosphates, 

 pus, bacteria, spermatozoa, fatty globules, blood, etV All 

 urines become turbid after standing for a time. \ 



The urine of the horse is especially turbid at the en^ of 

 micturition, exceptionally it may be clear but becomes turbid 

 on cooling. Its opacity is due to the presence of earthy salfs 

 of the carbonate of lime precipitated and formed by the disv 

 engagement of a certain amount of carbon dioxide from the 

 bicarbonate of lime. The turbidity increases when the urine 

 remains for any length of time in the bladder; it reaches its 

 maximum when the urine is cooled by exposure to the free air ; 

 it diminishes after the ingestion of a large quantity of water. 



A clear, limpid urine is generally pathological in the horse ; 

 it indicates polyuria and the reaction in this case is usually 

 acid, exceptionally neutral or alkaline when the phosphates are 

 modified qualitatively or quantitatively. 



The turbidity of horse urine is abnormal when it is due 

 to the presence of the phosphate of lime, or of calcium sul- 

 phate, or acid salts ; also from the existence of albuminoid sub- 

 stances, (exudates, leucocytes in interstitial nephritis). 



In other animals the passing of turbid urine is usually re- 

 garded as abnormal. 



Consistency. In the horse the urine is very viscid on 

 account of the contained mucus and sometimes of epithelial 

 debris. It filters very slowly. Urine taken directly from the 

 ureter or the pelvis of the kidney is still more viscid, having 

 a consistency very similar to that of egg albumin and a spe- 

 cific gravity somewhat higher than normal. 



Reaction. The reaction of human urine is acid, that of the 

 dog more so than that of man. In the pig it is sometimes acid 

 and sometimes alkaline, depending upon the diet. In the horse 

 and sheep it is alkaline, also in the ox, but in the calf and foal 

 it is acid. Herbivorous urine is alkaline, but if such animals 

 are starved for a time they practically become carnivorous in 

 that they are living upon their own tissues and under such con- 

 ditions their urine becomes acid. 



