122 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



eased conditions of the kidneys or of distant organs. Among the 

 additional causes of albuminuria may be named: (1) An excess of 

 albumin in the blood (after eas}'^ calving with little loss of blood and 

 before the secretion of milk has been established, or in cases of sud- 

 den suppression of the secretion of milk) ; (2) under increase of 

 blood pressure (after deep drinking, after doses of digitalis or 

 broom, after transfusion of blood from one animal to another, or in 

 disease of the heart or lungs causing obstruction to the flow of blood 

 from the veins) ; (3) after cutting (or disease) of the motor nerves 

 of the vessels going to the kidneys, causing congestion of these 

 organs; (4) violent exertion, hence long drives by road; the 

 same happens with violent muscular spasms, as from strychnia 

 poisoning, lockjaw, epilepsy, and convulsions; (5) in most fevers 

 and extensive inflammations of important organs, like the lungs or 

 liver, the escape of the albumin being variously attributed to the 

 high temperature of the body and disorder of the nerves, and to 

 resulting congestion and disorder of the secreting cells of the kid- 

 neys; (6) in burns and some other congested states of the skin; (7) 

 under the action of certain poisons (strong acids, phosphorus, 

 arsenic, Spanish flies, carbolic acid, and those inducing bloody urine) ; 

 (8) in certain conditions of weakness or congestion of the secreting 

 cells of the kidneys, so that they allow this element of the blood to 

 escape; (9) when the food is entirely wanting in common salt, albu- 

 min may appear in the urine temporarily after a full meal containing 

 an excess of albumin. It can also be produced experimentally by 

 puncturing the back part of the base of the brain (the floor of the 

 fourth ventricle close to the point the injury to which causes sugary 

 urine). In abscess, tumor, or inflammation of the bladder, ureter, 

 or urethra the urine is albuminous. 



It follows, therefore, that albumin in the urine does not indicate 

 the existence of any one specific disease, and excepting when due to 

 weakness or loss of function of the kidney cells, it must be looked on 

 as an attendant on another disease, the true nature of which we must 

 try to find out. These affections we must exclude one by one until 

 we are left to assume the noninflammatory disorder of the secreting 

 cells of the kidney. It is especially important to exclude inflamma- 

 tion of the kidney, and to do this may require a microscopic exami- 

 nation of the sediment of the urine and the demonstration of the 

 entire absence of casts of the urinif erous tubes. ( See " Nephritis," 

 p. 123.) 



To detect albumin in the urine, the suspected and frothy liquid 

 must be rendered sour by adding a few drops of nitric acid and then 

 boiled in a test tube. If a solid precipitate forms, then add a few 

 more drops of nitric acid, and if the liquid does not clear it up it is 



