88 SPECIAL EQUINE 



tion. And, even when the condition is actually diag- 

 nosed, the treatment is wholly of a symptomatic char- 

 acter. Good food, light work, tonics such as arsenic and 

 iron, and good hygienic surroundings accomplish all that 

 can be expected. The termination is almost without ex- 

 ception fatal, and it is only possible to slightly delay this 

 termination. 



DIABETES INSIPIDUS 



For some reason or other this has come to be a very 

 rare pathological condition. In my opinion this reason 



(can be found in the now prevalent custom of treating 

 grain with formaldehyd to prevent mould. While the 

 exact pathology of diabetes insipidus was not fully un- 

 derstood, it was quite generally held that it was the 

 result of an infection with some form of mould taken in 

 on the feed. The prevailing custom of treating grains 

 with formaldehyd and the coincident decrease in the 

 number of cases of diabetes insipidus would, to a certain 

 extent, strengthen this hypothesis. 



The predominating symptoms in this disease are great 

 thirst and frequent urination. The affected animal sud- 

 denly develops a great thirst. It wiU drink from four 

 to six times the normal quantity of water, and at every 

 opportunity. If no drinking water can be reached the 

 animal will drink anything liquid, such as sewer water, 

 rain water, urine, etc. At the same time micturition is 

 frequently performed, great quantities of urine being 

 passed at each act. After the condition has existed for 

 three or four days there is much straining and dribbling 

 of urine at the end of each urinary act. The appetite 

 now becomes capricious, and in another day or two the 

 patient refuses all food, retaining only an unquenchable 



