NEPHRITIS 85 



Upon examination we find that the urine has its 

 specific gravity increased, and contains albumin, 

 epithelial cells, casts, fatty granular ceHs, and some- 

 times red blood corpuscles also. The amount se- 

 creted is always diminished, although in the dog it 

 is not always easy to get reliable information on 

 this matter. 



Upon further examination the pulse is found to 

 be hard and tense and the heartbeats strong and 

 audible on both sides of the chest. The area of 

 cardiac dullness on percussion is found to be in- 

 creased. All these symptoms point to hypertrophy 

 of the heart, a common sequel to renal disease. The 

 temperature is usually only slightly above normal; 

 thirst is greatly increased. The disease may go 

 on to a fairly favorable termination, its intensity 

 may. increase, uremia -and death ' supervening, or 

 again it may pass into the chronic indurative stage. 



When chronic induration of the kidney takes 

 place, the urine becomes plentiful, is of a low 

 specific gravity, contains few casts or epithelia, 

 and but little albumin. The dropsical swellings dis- 

 appear; thirst is very intense and the blood pressure 

 is high. (Compensatory hypertrophy of the heart.) 

 If this compensation is complete the patient may 

 survive for years, but gradually the strain on the 

 heart leads to increasing incapacity of that organ. 

 The puke grows irregular and feeble, and catarrh of 

 the bronchi, stomach, and intestines sets in, com- 

 bined with dyspnea. Anemia is a constant symp- 

 tom. The secretion of urine again diminishes, while 

 the specific gravity and the albuminous content in- 

 crease. Death finally ensues from uremia. 



Treatment. — The treatment of chronic nephritis 

 is much the same as for the acute form, though the 

 prognosis is more unfavorable. Cardiac tonics such 

 as digitalis or cafifein must first of all be adminis- 



