DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 227 



To render it thus poisonous, however, its decomposition in the 

 blood appears to be requisite. 



This is one of the numerous instances showing that the carry- 

 ino- fluid of the body may become the vehicle of disease and death, 

 if it be not duly purged of deleterious matters which pertain to 

 the unceasing processes of organic life. If carbonic acid be nc/t 

 extricated by the lungs, the animal functions are as certainly and 

 almost as speedily extinguished by that gas as the flame of a taper 

 mio-ht be, and we know that when the outlet of the liver is shut 

 up, when the blood is not pumped from the excrementitious bile^ 

 the powers of animal life are weakened and sometimes utterly 

 and rapidly destroyed." 



Frequent complaints are made to me, by horsemen, that their 

 horses do not urinate sufficiently, and I am requested to furnish 

 diuretics. I usually advise the former not to feel alarmed, for 

 Nature regulates these matters, and, in time, all will be well ; pro- 

 vided, however, good food is furnished, and proper care is taken 

 of the animal. The subject being one of importance, both as 

 regards man and horse, I here introduce the following article 

 from Watson's "Lectures:" 



" Suppression of urine, for a considerable time, is not, however, 

 necessarily and universally fatal. Patients laboring under the 

 epidemic cholera would secrete not a drop of water for some days, 

 and yet recover. It was remarkable how entirely free such patients 

 were from any approach toward coma. Was the urea here drained 

 off from the blood in the enormous and unnatural flux from the 

 stomach and bowels? I think it probably was; but chemical 

 search has not detected that substance in the fluids so effused. 

 Schmidt thinks, indeed, that it would be found but for its rapid 

 decomposition into carbonate of ammonia. There are, however, 

 some very singular instances on record of persons who have passed 

 days and even weeks without secreting urine, and without show- 

 ing any other indication of impaired health. What degree of 

 credit such narratives deserve I do not know ; but assuming that 

 there was neither fraud nor mistake, it may be suspected that 

 either the natural secretion was compensated by some vicarious 

 or supplemental discharge, or that a small quantity of urine was 

 actually separated by the kidneys. ' If any water, however small 

 the quantity/ remarks Sir Henry Halford, 'had been made in 

 these cases, I should have thought it possible that the patient 



