522 GfENEEAL DISEASES. 



cut off the supply of nutriment to these, and thus cause their death and 

 destruction " (McFadymn). 



If blood be taken from an affected animal and allowed to stand in any 

 convenient vessel for about twenty-four hours, so as to permit the clot and 

 serum to separate from each other, the serum, which will be on the top, will, 

 on account of the presence of pigment, be of a dark red, instead of the usual 

 straw colour. 



From post-mortem examinations we find that the affected muscles have 

 f^uffered from inflammatory degeneration, in that they are pale, swollen, and 

 granular, and have more or less lost their characteristic structure (transverse 

 striation). Schindelka having proved that the blood in this disease contains 

 an abnormally large proportion of pigment, argues that this excess of pig- 

 ment must be derived from the inflamed muscles, the colouring matter of 

 which is almost identical with that of the blood (haemoglobin). The fact, 

 however, of there being a marked and continuous decrease in the number of 

 red corpuscles in the blood during the progress of the disease conclusively 

 shows, as pointed out by McFadyean, that the excess of pigment is more or 

 less derived from the broken-up red corpuscles. In severe cases, the urine 

 is charged with pigment; but not in mild ones. The term, hsemoglobinuria, 

 signifies the presence of b?emoglobin in the urine. 



Dieckerhoff advances the theory that in this disease there is an abnormal 

 amount of acids (lactic acid, &c.) formed in the affected muscles, which are 

 irritated by this excess. In support of this theory, he advances the fact that 

 the alkalinity of the blood is greatly diminished in hpemoglobinuria, and 

 consequently has tried the effect of large doses of bicarbonate of soda, with 

 which he has been very successful. 



SYMPTOMS. — The seizure is sudden, and usually appears when 

 the horse has travelled a short distance after having been in the 

 stable for a few days. The appearance of an animal suffering 

 from this disease is characteristic; for without any visible cause, 

 he becomes excited and seems as if he had severely injured his 

 hind quarters or loins. He has a peculiar, goose-rumped look 

 on account of the muscles over the quarters being violently con- 

 tracted. One hind limb is generally advanced in front of its fellow, 

 and, on attempting to put weight on it, the hind quarters occasion- 

 ally drop until the hocks almost touch the ground. Sometimes a 

 fore limb is affected. The breathing is hurried. The animal is 

 bathed in perspiration, and is in such agony that he will seize almost 

 anything with his teeth, and, not unfrequently, will tear the affected 

 side or a fore-arm. Although the pulse is hard and frequent ; the 

 internal temperature, even in severe cases, seldom rises to any 

 marked extent. The urine is dark-coloured and is usually copious, 

 though the horse may be unable to void it. Owing to the cessation 

 of the worm-like movement of the bowels, there is, generally, con- 

 stipation and retention of urine. Sometimes, the symptoms are 

 milder than those here described. On other occasions, the animal 

 soon falls to the ground, and continues to struggle in a delirious, 

 half-paralysed state, until it dies in a few hours. 



This disease may be mistaken for cerebro-spinal feyer, but differs 



