STONE IN THE BLADDEE. 443 



the acetic acid may prevent the albumin from coagulating. If th^re be 

 but little albumin present, the precipitate will not appear until the urine 

 boUs ; if much, it will show itself before boiling point be reached. Another 

 method is to charge a test-tube to a depth of ^ or | inch with strong nitric 

 acid, and then pour a small quantity of urine slowly down the side of the 

 inclined plane, so that it may rest on the acid without mixing with it. 

 If albumin be present, an opaque white cloud, disc-like in form, immediately 

 appears in the plane of contact of the two fluids. 



Inflammation of the Kidneys. 



-This is fortunately a very rare disease in. the horse; for it is 

 dangerous to life, and but little is known about it. It may be acute 

 or chronic. Probably its usual causes are chill, and irritation to 

 the kidneys by poisons, and by the products of certain bacteria 

 (p. 446), such as those of glanders and pneumonia. The chief 

 symptoms are: diminution of urine; strangury (p. 440); colic; 

 arching of the back; continued standing; stiff and straddling 

 gait ; intolerance of pressure on the loins ; and weakness. In fatal 

 cases, there are head symptoms shown by unconsciousness and 

 spasms. One of the most distinctive signs of the disease is the 

 presence of " casts '' in the urine. These casts of varying structure 

 form' in the minute (uriniferous) tubes which convey away tlie 

 urine from the kidneys, and, as a rule, are from g-J-nth to xTnicr*^'^ 

 of an inch in diameter. For information about the nature of 

 these casts and the methods of their examination, refer to special 

 books on pathology. 



TREATMENT. — When the disease proceeds from chill, harmful 

 matters in the food, or poisons, foment the loins, and give 1 lb. of 

 Epsom salts in a quart of wat^,..and IJ oz. of laudanum in water 

 two or three times a day if required. Linseed tea will be a useful 

 substitute for drinking water. The animal should be kept at rest 

 and warmly clothed and stabled. 



By fomenting the loins, keeping the surface of the body warm, 

 and giving a purgative, the inflamed condition of the kidneys is 

 diminished. As the kidneys eixcrete waste nitrogenous matter 

 from the system, the more exercise the horse takes, the more work 

 will his kidneys have to do. 



When inflammation is secondary to oftier diseases, they, not it, 

 should be treated. 



Stone in the Bladder. 



The horse, like man, may be affected with calculi (stones) in 

 the kidneys, ureters, bladder, or urethra. These calculi are, as a 

 rule, largely composed of carbonate of lime, which is always to be 

 found in the urine ; hence, the presence of stone in the positions 



