Hmmaturia. 209 



In all forms alike of this affection the nature of the soil ap- 

 pears to have a preponderating influence. It is the disease of 

 the woods, and waste lands, of damp and undrained lands, of 

 dense clays, of lands imderlaid by clay or hard pan, of lands rich 

 in vegetable humus, or vegetable moulds the decomposition of 

 which has been hastened by the application of quicklime. 



Pottier, Salome, Wiener and Reynal especially testify to the 

 prevalence of hsematuria on soils that are either dense and im- 

 permeable, or that have a subsoil of clay or hardpan. 



The disease has not been traced to any definite microbe nor 

 toxin, but there is much to suggest the necessity for inquirj'- in 

 that line. The special susceptibility of animals that may be 

 plethoric on the one hand, or in low condition on the other, would 

 be entirely in keeping with such a view, as the debility or de- 

 rangement of health would lay the system open to attack. 



Symptoms. In the plethoric animal there are congested mu- 

 cosae, full, strong pulse, forcible heartbeats, full veins, accelerated 

 breathing, colicy pains, dullness, straining frequently and the dis- 

 charge of thick, red or bloody urine. 



If from irritant biids and shoots, or plants,- there is more de- 

 pression, weakness, fever, dry skin, staring coat, coldness of the 

 surface, tremblings, stiffness or weakness of the hind limbs, 

 diarrhoea, followed by constipation, frequent straining and the 

 passage of colored urine with pain. In violent cases the expul- 

 sion of bloody urine may be excessive, and the cow may die in 24 

 hours. From irritant plants however the quantity of urine is 

 liable to be small, but frequently passed. 



As occurring irrespective of plethora or irritants there may be 

 at first only poor condition and debility with the passage of blood. 

 A pink tinge may show on the froth in the milk pail, and a red 

 precipitate on its bottom. If not anaemic at the outset they soon 

 become so, and the pulse which was at first bounding becomes 

 small and weak, the heart palpitates, the red mucosae become 

 pale. The subjects become tucked up, emaciated, weak, rough 

 coated, the skin adherent to the bones, and the appetite and 

 rumination impaired or lost. Sometimes colics are present. 



In the milder anaemic forms it may continue for months before 

 it causes death. In such cases it may prove intermittent. 



Morbid Anatomy. In the haematuria of plethora the kidneys 



r4 



