DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 79 



DIURESIS (POLYURIA, DIABETES INSIPIDUS, OR EXCESSIVE SECRETION OF 



URINE). 



This consists in an excessive secretion of a clear, watery urine of a 

 low specific gravity (1.007) with a correspondingly ardent thirst, a 

 rapidly advancing emaciation, and great loss of strength and spirit. 



Causes. Its causes may be any agent medicinal, alimentary, or 

 poisonous which unduly stimulates the kidneys ; the reckless admin- 

 istration of diuretics, which form such a common constituent of quack 

 horse powders; acrid diuretic plants in grass or hay; new oats still 

 imperfectly cured; an excess of roots or other very watery food; a 

 full allowance of salt to animals that have become inordinately fond 

 of it; but, above all, feeding on hay, grain, or bran which has not 

 been properly dried and has become musty and permeated by fungi. 

 Thus hay, straw, or oats secured in wet seasons and heating in the rick 

 or stack is especially injurious. Hence this malady, like coma som- 

 nolentum (sleepy staggers), is widespread in wet seasons, and espe- 

 cially in rainy districts. 



Symptoms. The horse drinks deep at every opportunity and 

 passes urine on every occasion when stopped, the discharge being 

 pale, watery, of a low density, and inodorous; in short, it contains a 

 great excess of water and a deficiency of the solid excretions. So 

 great is the quantity passed, however, that the small amount of 

 solids in any given specimen amounts in twenty-four hours to far 

 more than the normal a fact in keeping with the rapid wasting of 

 the tissues and extreme emaciation. The flanks become tucked up, 

 the fat disappears, the bones and muscles stand out prominently, 

 the skin becomes tense and hidebound, and the hair erect, scurfy, 

 and deficient in luster. The eye becomes dull and sunken, the spirits 

 are depressed, the animal is weak and sluggish, sweats on the slightest 

 exertion, and can endure little. The subject may survive for months, 

 or he may die early of exhaustion. In the slighter cases, or when the 

 cause ceases to operate, he may make a somewhat tardy recovery. 



Treatment. This consists in stopping the ingestion of the faulty 

 drugs, poisons, or food, and supplying sound hay and grain free from 

 all taint of heating or mustiness. A liberal supply of boiled flaxseed 

 in the drinking water at once serves to eliminate the poison and to 

 sheathe and protect the irritated kidneys. Tonics like sulphate or 

 phosphate of iron (2 drams morning and evening) and powdered 

 gentian or Peruvian bark (4 drams) help greatly by bracing the 

 system and hastening repair. To these may be added agents calcu- 

 lated to destroy the fungus and eliminate its poisonous products. 

 In that form which depends on musty food nothing acts better than 

 large doses of iodide of potassium (2 drams), while in other cases 

 creosote, carbolic acid (1 dram), or oil of turpentine (4 drams) 

 properly diluted, may be resorted to. 



