148 THE KIDNEYS 



horse are very easily acted upon by medicine, though 

 it may be also observed that they are very easily 

 disordered. Bad hay, bad oats, chill, and sprain, may 

 be reckoned as being the most frequent causes of 

 inflammation of the kidneys. The symptoms are 

 feverishness, restlessness, and undue perspiration. 

 The animal stands with his belly ' tucked up,' and his 

 legs wide apart, and is unable to turn in his stall with- 

 out experiencing pain, and winces if the kidneys are 

 pressed. The bowels are also constipated. The best 

 treatment recommended is the application of flannel 

 cloths steeped in hot water, the administration of a 

 scruple of calomel to a pint of oil, followed, after the 

 purging has ceased, by a dose of half a drachm 

 of calomel and a drachm of opium every morning and 

 evening for some three or four consecutive days. 

 Plenty of hand-rubbing, and the application of some 

 ammoniacal embrocation, mixed with oil and tincture 

 of opium in the following proportion, maybe used with 

 advantage, viz., oil, 6 ounces ; water of ammonia, 

 I ounce ; tincture of opium, 2 ounces. Linseed-tea is 

 also good as a drink, and grass and carrots may be 

 given as being beneficial. The following treatment 

 is also recommended, viz., turpentine, \ ounce ; ginger, 

 \ drachm, made into a ball with linseed-meal, or 

 resin may be substituted for the turpentine and the 

 whole formed into a mass with palm-oil. In cases of 

 inflammation, nitre, digitalis, the spirit of nitrous ether, 

 cream of tartar, and balsam of capivi, are all said to be 

 efficacious. 



The tendons are enclosed in a sheath of dense 

 cellular substance, in order to confine them in their situ- 

 ation, as also to protect them from injury. Between 



