140 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 
Symptoms.—The symptoms are ardent thirst and profuse secre- 
tion of a pale urine of a high density (1.060 and upward), rapid loss 
of condition, scurfy, unthrifty skin, costiveness or irregularity of 
the bowels, indigestion, and the presence, in the urine, of a sweet 
principle—grape sugar or inosite, or both. This may be most 
promptly detected by touching the tip of the tongue with a drop. 
Sugar may be detected simply by adding a teaspoonful of liquid 
yeast to 4 ounces of the urine and keeping it lightly stopped at a 
temperature of 70° to 80° F. for 12 hours, when the sugar will be 
found to have been changed into alcohol and carbon dioxid. The 
loss of density will give indication of the quantity of sugar trans- 
formed; thus a density of 1.035 in a urine which was formerly 1.060 
would indicate about 15 grains of sugar to the fluid ounce. 
Inosite, or muscle sugar, frequently present in the horse’s urine, 
and even replacing the glucose, is not fermentable. Its presence may 
be indicated by its sweetness and the absence of fermentation or by 
Gallois’s test. Evaporate the suspected urine at a gentle heat almost 
to dryness, then add a drop of a solution of mercuric nitrate and 
evaporate carefully to dryness, when a yellowish residue is left that 
is changed on further cautious heating to a deep rose color, which 
disappears on cooling and reappears on heating. 
In advanced diabetes, dropsies in the limbs and under the chest 
and belly, puffy, swollen eyelids, cataracts, catarrhal inflammation 
of the lungs, weak, uncertain gait, and drowsiness may be noted. 
Treatment is most satisfactory in cases dependent on some curable 
disease of liver, pancreas, lungs, or brain. Thus, in liver diseases, a 
run at pasture in warm weather, or in winter a warm, sunny, well- 
aired stable, with sufficient clothing and laxatives (sulphate of soda, 
1 ounce daily) and alkalies (carbonate of potassium, one-fourth 
ounce) may benefit. To this may be added mild blistering, cupping, 
or even leeching over the last ribs. Diseases of the brain or pancreas 
may be treated according to their indications. The diet should be 
mainly albuminous, such as wheat bran or middlings, peas, beans, 
vetches, and milk. Indeed, an exclusive milk diet is one of the very 
best remedial agencies. It may be given as skimmed milk or butter- 
milk, and in the last case combines an antidiabetic remedy in the 
lactic acid. Under such an exclusive diet recent and mild cases are 
often entirely restored, though at the expense of an attack of rheu- 
matism. Codeia, one of the alkaloids of opium, is strongly recom- 
mended by Tyson. The dose for the horse would be 10 to 15 grains 
thrice daily. In cases in which there is manifest irritation of the 
brain, bromid of potassium, 4 drams, or ergot one-half ounce, may 
be resorted to. Salicylic acid and salicylate of sodium have proved 
useful in certain cases; also phosphate of sodium. Bitter tonics (es- 
pecially nux vomica one-half dram) are useful in improving the di- 
gestion and general health. 
