THE URINARY APPARATOS. 337 



disease in man, but it has not the chronic character of 

 that disorder, the kidneys are not found in a state of 

 granular degeneration after death, and the urine has not 

 been shown to contain disorganised renal substance and 

 casts of the tubuli uriniferi. The analogy between the 

 two diseases can hardly be considered to be established, 

 but we must consider albuminuria of the ox a symptom of 

 defective assimilation. It must, therefore, be treated by 

 a cathartic dose, liberal administration of readily digestible 

 food, and vegetable tonics. Measures must not be taken 

 to check the activity of the kidneys. 



Section 2. — Diseases op the Kidney. 



Nephritis — Inflammation of the Kidney — is not a fre- 

 quent disease of cattle. It is seen in working oxen, for 

 these are most liable to exposure when heated and to 

 strains. In the horse this disease may generally be 

 traced to excessive administration of diuretic agents to 

 improve condition, but sometimes to over-weighting and 

 want of harmony between the movements of an awkward 

 rider and those of the horse. These influences do not 

 operate on the ox to such an extent, though the former 

 may be to him an occasional cause of this disease. In- 

 juries of various kinds and extension of inflammation from 

 neighbouring parts sometimes give rise to nephritis. 



Symptoms. — Besides the general febrile signs we find 

 that if both kidneys be affected no urine is passed; if 

 only one, a diminished supply of urine of a thick viscid 

 character, containing much albumen, and perhaps blood 

 and pus. This is frequently passed in small quantities, and 

 afterwards the patient continues to make ineffectual at- 

 tempts to urinate ; passing the catheter or manual explora- 

 tion per rectum or vaginam shows that the bladder is 

 empty. There are generally obvious signs of colicky pain. 

 The patient stands, and moves stiffly, and with a straddling 

 painful gait. The back is arched, and acute pain is mani- 

 fested on pressure of the loins. In the latter stages 

 urasmic complications set in, denoted by double pulse, 



22 



