114 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



Kot only are these organs alike channels for the excretion of albu- 

 minous products, but they are also related to each other structurally 

 and by nervous sympathy, so that suffering in the one is liable to 

 induce some measure of disorder in the other. 



This nitrogenous waste matter is mainly present in the urine of 

 cattle, as of other mammals, in the form of urea, but also, to some 

 extent, as hippuric acid, a derivative of vegetable food which, in the 

 herbivora, replaces the uric acid found in the urine of man and car- 

 nivora. Uric acid is, however, found in the urine of sucking calves 

 which have practically an animal diet, and it may also appear in the 

 adult in case of absolute and prolonged starvation, and in diseases 

 attended by complete loss of appetite and rapid wasting of the body. 

 In such cases the animal lives on its own substance, and the product 

 is that of the wasting flesh. 



The other products containing nitrogen are only present in small 

 amount, and need not be specially referred to. The urine of cattle 

 contains much less of carbonates than does that of the horse, and 

 effervesces less on the addition of an acid. As the carbonates form 

 a large proportion of the solid deposits (gravel, stone) from the 

 horse's urine, the ox may thus be held less liable ; yet even in the ox 

 the carbonates become abundant or scanty, according to the nature of 

 the food, and therefore gravel, formed by carbonate of lime, is not 

 infrequent in cattle. When fed on beets, clover hay, or bean straw, 

 carbonates are present in large amount, these aliments being rich in 

 organic acids and alkaline carbonates; whereas upon oat straw, 

 barley straw, and, above all, wheat straw, they are in small amount. 

 In calves fed on milk alone no carbonates are found in the urine. 



Phosphates, usually in combination with lime, are, as a rule, pres- 

 ent only in traces in the urine of cattle; yet on a dietary of wheat, 

 bran, or other aliment rich in phosphates, these may be present in 

 large amount, so that they render the liquid cloudy or are deposited 

 in solid crystals. The liquid is rendered transparent by nitric acid. 

 The cow's urine, on a diet of hay and potatoes, contained : 



Parts. 



Urea 18. 5 



Potassic hippurate 16. 5 



Alkaline lactates 17.2 



Potassium bicarbonate 16. 1 



Magnesium carbofnate 4.7 



Lime carbonate 0.6 



Potassium sulphate 3.6 



Common salt 1-5 



Silica Trace. 



Phosphates 0. 



Water and undetermined substances 921. 3 



Total 1. 000. 



