166 DISEASES OF THE UBINABY AND SEXUAL APPABATUS. 



stance is lessened in diameter and striped with layers of dark 

 colored tissue. Tlie pyramids are smaller and deep red in color. 



Clinical Symptoms and Course. As a rule, there is very 

 Ittle that can be recognized in the dog during life, and the antlior 

 has lield posts on animals that have had chronic nephritis of both 

 kidneys that did not present the slightest symptoms of the disease 

 daring life ; and even the urine may not contain any albumin, the 

 only symptom being the amount of urine secreted. This is greatly 

 increased in amount, the specific gravity being much lessened. 

 In such cases there is generally hypertrophy of the left ventricle, 

 which can be recognized by palpitation of the heart (loud pulsa- 

 tions and a hard, full pulse). It is presumed that this high arte- 

 rial pressure tends to keep up the action on the impaired kidney 

 and prevent any serious disturbance in the secretion of the kidney. 

 As the disease advances we soon recognize a change : The heart 

 becomes weaker in its action, the pulse is small and frequent, 

 the urine is scant, dark, and very albuminous. This is followed 

 by chronic inflammatory processes in various organs, especially the 

 bronchia, and in the intestinal canal, and finally we have symp- 

 toms of uraemia. In the majority of cases the parenchymatous 

 form can be recognized by the urine. This is very similar to 

 acute nephritis. It contains much albumin, and the urine is scant 

 in quantity, and there are certain dropsical symptoms in the depend- 

 ent region. There are also loss of appetite, great fatigue on taking 

 any exercise, hypertrophy of the heart, which finally becomes 

 weak, and then symptoms of uraemia follow as stated above. 



Therapeutics. The treatment of chronic nephritis is the same 

 as in acute, but the dropsical conditions can be treated by digitalis 

 and strophauthus, and when there is great anaemia give iron salts. 



Amyloid. Kidney. 



Amyloid kidney generally occurs in connection with amyloid 

 degeneration of some other organs of the body. The kidney is 

 contracted, and in the parenchymatous form the condition can gen- 

 erally be recognized by the character of the urine. This generally 

 presents the same symptoms as acute nephritis. The urine is 

 loaded with albumin and much lessened in quantity. 



The amyloid condition is not only seen in the kidneys, but also 



