HORSES. 133 



or from the kidneys becoming inactive and ormant, so 

 that the secretions are suspended, or a stoppage fiom a 

 stricture at the neck of the bladder, or other cause, or an 

 inflammation of the bladder, there will be, after a while, 

 frequent vain and painful attempts to discharge urine 

 This leads superficial observers to treat all diseases of 

 the urinary organs in the same manner. 



INFLAMMATION OF THE KIDNEYS. 



This is a very serious disorder, as it attacks a part 

 already, in too many cases, injured by previous absurd 

 treatment. 



Causes are, over-fatigue, bad food, exposure, driving 

 a horse long without staling, which produces excessive 

 pain, from a large collection of water in the bladder that 

 is absorbed by the kidneys, to their serious injury. Giv- 

 ing diuretics too freely produces excessive action on the 

 kidneys in the secretion of urine, which weakens and 

 inflames them. This shows the importance of caution 

 in treating this disease. Diuretics may afford temporary 

 relief, but the disease will return with increased violence. 



Symptoms. There is considerable fever. This is 

 clearly indicated by the heat of the mouth, the heaving 

 of the flanks, and the acceleration of the pulse. The 

 feeling of very acute pain is plainly shown by the fre- 

 quent, steadfast gaze at the affected part ; and that part 

 is marked out by the direction of the muzzle to the loins 

 more than to the belly. There is disinclination to move, 

 because the inflammation rapidly spreads from the kid- 

 neys to the muscles of the loins, and the least motion of 

 them will give intense pain. In order that there shall 

 be as little stress as possible upon these muscles, the 

 hind legs are straddled widely apart. 



This inability to move without pain assumes, in bad 

 cases, the form of palsy of the hinder extremities, and 

 occasionally runs on to actual palsy. If the land is 

 placed on the loins, an unnatural warmth is felt, and the 

 horse shrinks and crouches under the slightest pressure. 



The urine, which, from the beginning, was voided 

 with some difficulty, escapes in smaller and smaller 

 quantities, and the discharge of it is accompanied bv 

 12 



