352 



DISEASES OF THE URINARY APPARATUS. 



4. Leucocytes. The pus corpuscles which are found in the 

 urine may proceed from nephritis, pyelitis, cystitis, or urethritis. 

 We must, therefore, be guided mainly by the other symptoms, and 

 particularly by the presence of urinary cylinders, by cylindric or 

 pavement epithelium, etc. 



5. Bacteria, fatty drops, basic phosphate crystals, 

 ETC. All these bodies are abnormal elements or accessories of the 

 urine. The bacteria indicate a general septic infection, abscess for- 

 mation in the kidneys, vesical catarrh, or a putrid decomposition of 

 the urine ; the small fatty drops are sometimes found in the dog in 

 a normal condition, in other cases they indicate a fatty degeneration 

 of the renal epithelium. Friedberger has found cholesterin crystals 

 in a dog which had a catarrh of the bladder caused by a tumor 

 having undergone atheromatous degeneration. The appearance of 

 basic phosphate crystals in fresh urine (coffin-lid shaped) indicates 

 cystitis. 



CONGESTION OP THE KIDNEYS, 



Congestion or hyperemia of the kidneys is active or passive. 

 Sometimes it forms but a passing phenomenon, which is symptom- 

 atic of several diseases, in which case it ought not to be considered 

 as a true pathological condition. 



Etiology. In general, the causes of active congestion are those 

 of acute nephritis, which, in its first stage, is especially character- 

 ized by a severe hyperemia of the renal tissue. It is developed by 

 the action exerted upon the kidney, by acrid alimentary matters 

 (anemone, adonis, asclepias, damp or mouldy hay and oats) ; this 

 etiological influence explains why, in the spring, we often notice 

 the appearance of active renal hyperemia with its main symptom, 

 polyuria, in an. enzootic state. It is sometimes determined by 

 dirty, stagnant drinking-water from swamps, pools, etc. Any 

 abdominal hyperemia may induce congestion of the kidney leading 

 in certain conditions to hematuria. (See Hematuria.) It is also a 

 phenomenon of most of the infectious diseases (influenza, contagious 

 pneumonia, hydrophobia, etc.). 



Passive congestion accompanies the general blood stagnations 

 related to heart or lung diseases (valvular alterations, pulmonary 

 emphysema, induration of the lungs, pleural exudates) ; it is also 

 developed when the course of the blood in the posterior vena cava 

 is obstructed by the presence of aneurisms, of thrombosis, or of 



