ADDENDA TO THE DISEASES OF THE KIDNEYS. 



373 



horses fed on roots hardly deserves any refutation ; we refer to this 

 because of its pretended geographical localization. At the present 

 time it is known in all the countries of Europe. 



The obscure hypothesis formulated by Dieckerhoff reminds us of 

 certain old methods ; it is not based upon any scientific fact. Ac- 

 cording to this author, in horses that are well fed and left standing 

 in the stable for several days, the nutritive matters would accumu- 

 late in the blood and the albuminoid substances would become 

 decomposed there and generate a principle possessing specific toxic 

 properties. 



Like ourselves, Winkler recognizes two distinct forms of black 

 strangury: a " rheumatismaP' and a '^toxemic" form; but we 

 doubt whether the differential diagnosis of these two morbid states 

 is so easy as is indicated by this author. 



Pathological anatomy. The principal alterations are found in 

 the muscles and in the blood. 



1. The muscles of the croup are particularly affected; they are 

 pale, tumefied, œdematous. The microscope shows a granulous 



^ alteration, an irregular segmentation, of hyaline aspect, and the loss 

 of the transverse striation — degenerative lesions due to the inflam- 

 mation of the muscular fibres. Between these we sometimes find 

 small hemorrhagic centres. These alterations, which are more or 

 less accentuated according to the case, often exist in a great number 

 of muscles; concerning their frequency, Siedamgrotzky classifies 

 them in the following order: (1) psoas, long adductor, and posterior 

 part of the other adductors of the thigh, ilio-spinal, pectoral ; 

 (2) anterior straight of the thigh (crural triceps) ; (3) abductors and 

 anterior portion of the adductors of the thigh, great dorsal. 



2. The blood appears much altered, its color is darker; it is non- 

 coagulated, is tar-like, with a varnish gloss. Taken from the living 

 animal, it gives, after coagulation, a reddish serum (due to dissolved 

 hemoglobin ; this alteration is not lasting, which depends perhaps 

 on the elimination of hemoglobin. According to the researches of 

 Siedamgrotzky and Hofmeister, the blood is very rich in urea and 

 in extractive matters — that is to say, in the waste products of the 

 combustion due to muscular activity. Lastly, on microscopic ex- 

 amination we find here and there a considerable quantity of hema- 

 toidin crystals. We may observe hemorrhages of various organs 

 (spleen, kidneys, etc.). 



Besides these constant essential alterations, others exist which 



