RED- WATER. 367 



rity — they are deeply embedded in a covering of fat, and there is 

 another accumulation of fat surrounding" and defending the differ- 

 ent vessels that are received or given oflf. The bulk of the 

 rumen, and the danger of occasional pressure from it, may^in some 

 degree account for these provisions of safety ; but a more satisfac- 

 tory reason is to be found in the greater extent and importance of 

 the function which these organs in cattle have to discharge. 



RED-WATER. 



The disease termed red-water, from the color of the urine, is one 

 of the most frequent and untractable maladies of cattle. It may be 

 conveniently divided into acute and chronic ; in fact, two diseases 

 essentially dififerent in their symptoms, demanding different treat- 

 ment, and referable to different organs, have been confounded under 

 this name. 



A cow, in somewhat to^ high condition, and in whom the prudent 

 precautions of bleeding or physicking had been omitted, frequently, 

 a week or two before the time of calving, suddenly exhibits symp- 

 toms of fever ; she heaves at the flank ; she ceases to ruminate, and 

 evidently suffers much pain ; her back is bowed ; she is straining in 

 order to evacuate her urine, and that is small in quantity, expelled 

 with force, highly tinged with blood. 



At other times, a few days after calving, when she had not 

 cleansed well, or was in too good condition, and had not had that 

 dose of purgative medicine which should always follow parturition, 

 she suddenly manifests the same symptoms of illness, speedily suc- 

 ceeded by a similar discharge of bloody urine. 



The nature and cause of the disease are here evident enough. 

 During the period of pregnancy there had been considerable deter- 

 mination of blood to the womb. A degree of susceptibility, a ten- 

 dency to inflammatory action, had been set up ; and this had been 

 increased as the period of parturition had approached, and was ag- 

 gravated by the state and general fulness of blood to which she had 

 incautiously been raised. The neighboring organs necessarily par- 

 ticipated in this, and the kidneys, to which so much blood is sent for 

 the proper discharge ^f their function, either quickly shaied in the 

 inflammation of the womb, or first took on inflammation, and suffered 

 most by means of it. 



An overdriven bullock is seized with acute inflammation of the 

 kidneys ; another that has been shifted from poor to luxuriant pas- 

 ture is soon observed to have red-water. There are some seasons 

 when it is in a manner epidemic, when a great proportion of the 

 beasts in a certain district are attacked b-y it, and many of them die. 

 Atmospheric influence has not been taken sufficiently into the ac- 

 count in the consideration of this and almost every other disease. It 

 \s seldom that one dairy is attacked by red-water, without many or 



