65 



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 esi^ecially injurious. Hence this malady, like coma somno- 

 lentum (sleepy staggers), is widespread in wet seasons, and especially 

 in rainy districts. 



Sijmpfoms. — The horse drinks deep at every oj)portunity and passes 

 urine on every occasion when stopped, the discharge being x^ale, 

 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 disap- 

 pears, 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 sj^irits 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 

 sheath and protect the irritated kidneys. Tonics like sulphate or 

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

 tian or Peruvian bark (4 drams) help greatly by bracing the sj^stem 

 and hastening repair. To these may be added agents calculated to 

 destro}^ the fungus and eliminate its poisonous products. In that 

 form w^hich depends on musty food nothing acts better than large 

 doses of iodide of potassium (2 drams), while in other cases ci-eosote, 

 carbolic acid (1 dram), or oil of turpentine (4 drams) i^roperly diluted, 

 may be resorted to. 



SACCHARINE DIABETES — DIABETES MELLITUS — GLYCOSURIA — 



INOSURIA. 



This is primarily a disease of the nervous system or liver rather 

 than of the kidneys, j^et, as the most prominent symptom is the 

 sweet urine, it may be treated here. Its causes are varied, but resolve 

 themselves largely into disorder of the liver or disorder of the brain. 

 Ono of the most prominent functions of the liver is the formation of 

 glycogen, a principle allied to grape-sugar, and passing into it by 

 further oxidation in the blood. This is a constant function of the 

 5961— HOR 3 



