120 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 



tritious food. Nephritis is especially due to an 

 overdose of cantharides. In fevers also the urine 

 often becomes scanty and acid. It is then irritat- 

 ing, and is passed off in drops or small quantities. 

 If there is true suppression of urine, symptoms of 

 blood poisoning will occur, as the elements of the 

 urine are retained in the blood. We also find slug- 

 gishness of the kidneys in old horses, especially if 

 overworked. The urine passed may be either of a 

 red-brown color or of a thick, milky appearance. 



Treatment: If it is caused from fevers, give ni- 

 trate of potassium in half-ounce doses three times 

 a day in the drinking water. If it is causing much 

 irritation of the bladder and other passages, give 

 two ounces spirits of nitric ether and one ounce 

 buchu tincture. Mix and give in half a pint of 

 cold water three times a day. If in old, worn-out 

 horses, give sulphate of iron, two ounces; nitrate 

 of potass., two ounces; powdered digitalis, one 

 ounce; mix and divide into twelve doses, one to be 

 given twice a day in bran mash. In all cases feed 

 good hay and oats. Atrophy and hypertrophy of 

 kidneys are occasionally found in both horses and 

 cattle. It is often found that when one kidney is 

 affected with atrophy the other most likely will 

 become hypertrophied and it will be found twice 

 its natural size. Atrophy of the kidneys is often 

 found in the pig, and it is mentioned by Gamgee 

 that one kidney has been absent, and its fibrous 

 capsule alone remaining, distended by a yellow 

 fluid of a strong urinous odor, whereas its fellow 

 was very much enlarged and the animals were in 



