CONGESTION OF THE KIDNEYS. 



365 



which are Dot indurated take a grayish coloration (fatty degenera- 

 tion); the capsule can no longer be detached from the cortical 

 substance, to which it is intimately united by fibrous bands. The 

 surface of the kidney is sometimes lobulated. The renal tissue 

 itself is hard and creaks under the knife ; the cortical substance is 

 greatly reduced in thickness ; it is furrowed with fibrous bauds 

 surrounding atrophied glomeruli and uriniferous canaliculi, these 

 bands being separated by small islands of renal tissue, which are 

 nearly normal in character. The kidney may also be reduced to 

 half its original size. In the ox we have constantly found the two 

 kidneys affected in an almost identical manner. 



Symptoms. In most cases chronic nephritis is developed very 

 slowly and without giving rise to any very manifest symptoms ; 

 the animals are therefore only presented to the veterinarian at a 

 Tery advanced period of the disease. 



It is first indicated by the lessening of the appetite and a gradual 

 weakening ; but these phenomena, which are common to a number 

 of morbid affections, are very insufficient to enable us to recognize 

 Si determinate organic affection. Later, œdemas are formed upon 

 the members, in the pectoral and lower abdominal regions, etc. 

 This tendency to dropsy characterizes the parenchymatous form ; it 

 should decide the practitioner to make the examination of the urine, 

 which alone is able to give precise information upon tne nature of 

 the disease: this liquid is emitted in a smaller quantity; its specific 

 gravity is increased; it is very albuminous, contains casts, epithelial 

 cells, fatty degenerations, and at times also red corpuscles. In the 

 examination of the circulatory apparatus we find the artery dis- 

 tended, the pulse hard, the cardiac impulse violent, often percep- 

 tible on both sides, the heart bruits stronger, and sometimes the 

 zone of cardiac dulness more extended ; these are so many symp- 

 toms of hypertrophy of the heart. The rising of the rectal tem- 

 perature is moderate or medium; the thirst is ordinarily very great. 

 At this period, if the intensity of the disease increases rapidly, ure- 

 mia steps in and death may occur in a few days. 



When interstitial sclerotic nephritis is prominent the clinical picture 

 is modified. We observe a considerable lowering of the specific 

 gravity of the urine, which falls to 1025, sometimes to 1015 (in the 

 horse) ; in advanced atrophy the specific gravity falls to 1010, and 

 even 1001 ; the urine, which is very watery, is emitted in a large 

 quantity (polyuria), it contains but little albumin, casts, and epi- 



