166 INFLAMMATION OF THE KIDNEYS. 



give intense pain. In order that there shall be as 

 little stress as possible upon these muscles, the back 

 is arched or roached ; and the hind legs are straddled 

 very curiously and widely apart. The disinclination 

 to move, or rather the inability to move, without 

 agony, assumes, in bad cases, the appearance of palsy 

 of the hinder extremities. It seems to shift from side 

 to side ; and from leg to leg ; in proportion as the 

 inflammation moves from one kidney to the other. If 

 the hand is now placed on the loins, an unnatural 

 warmth is felt; and the poor horse shrinks, trembles, 

 and crouches under the slightest pressure. 



The urine, which at the very beginning was voided 

 more frequently ; and with perhaps greater difficulty 

 than usual as the disease proceeds, escapes in smaller 

 and smaller quantities. It becomes high-coloured, 

 perhaps bloody. It diminishes by degrees; until only 

 a few drops are voided at a time ; and at length it 

 ceases altogether to appear ; yet the horse may strain ; 

 because the bladder is sympathetically affected; yet 

 every strain is accompanied by increasing agony. 



The mere difficulty of staling, however, and its 

 gradual ceasing, may be referable to another cause, 

 namely? spasm of the urethra. It is therefore neces- 

 sary to settle that point before any treatment is com- 

 menced. The hand well oiled should be introduced 

 into the rectum. If there is inflammation of the 

 kidney, the mere approximation towards the organs 

 will communicate a sensation of heat and call forth 

 the most piteous symptoms of supplicating distress. 

 But, if it is spasm of the urethra, the distended bladder 

 cannot possibly be mistaken. 



Inflammation of the kidneys, however, is the sub- 



