DISEASES OF THE BLOOD. 107 



cept fever being present, generally sucli prolonged cases 

 terminate in death from gradually increasing anaemia. 

 Calves, bullocks, and even bulls may be affected with this 

 disorder, but less frequently than cows. 



Causes. — It is very prevalent on certain pastures, and 

 not on others even in the immediate neighbourhood. It 

 has been associated with certain special soils, and par- 

 ticularly with movement of stock from land of one kind 

 to another. Overdriving is considered a cause, as also 

 certain special states of the air and great alternations of 

 temperature. It is on the latter account, probably, that 

 it occurs very much during the summer among animals 

 brought to highland pasture from richer lowland soil. 

 As a rule, the disease is most frequent in spring and 

 autumn, and high condition, as well as difl&culty in 

 cleansing after calving, is considered a predisposing cause. 

 Cases have been traced to the drinking of stagnant water, 

 while Harrison attributes its prevalence in some cases to a 

 hot and dry condition of pastures, and to excess of drain- 

 age. It has been found very prevalent in woody districts. 

 Also a poor diet of any kind, as turnips, about the time 

 of calving, will prove a cause. 



The Urine has an average specific gravity, 1041, with 

 alkaline reaction, and a more or less powerful odour of 

 rotten turnips; contains 1'82 albumen, 1*26 urea, and 

 1'28 extractives in 100 parts of urine, while on micro- 

 scopical examination crystals of cholesterine, hippurates, 

 phosphates, and epithelial scales were found more or less 

 abundantly (Williams). 



Post-mortem examination. — Youatt speaks of consider- 

 able inflammation, ulceration, and often the formation of 

 foetid pus, and occasionally gangrene of the uterus in acute 

 cases , but probably he was labouring under some error, for 

 he also speaks of inflammation of the kidneys, which cer- 

 tainly is not present. The uterus simply contains dark- 

 coloured mucus, while the kidneys, though occasionally they 

 are found congested, usually are paler than ordinary. The 

 bladder contains some of the characteristic red or black 

 urine, according to the stage of the case. The serum of 



