46 MIDLAND COUNTIES VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
Next, as to the cause of the red tinge of the urine. (This, could 
it be absolutely proved, would be the keystone to the whole affair.) 
Various theories with regard to it are afloat, the oldest and most 
prevalent of which is that haemorrhage from the kidneys is the 
cause ; but, says Professor Simonds, we must bear in mind one 
thing — if there is any blood in the urine it will clot, no matter how 
little the quantity, while we find in this disease the urine to be quite 
transparent. This alone, he thinks, should convince us that there 
is no escape of blood from the kidneys. Another idea which at 
one time prevailed was that bile in the urine was the cause of the 
change of colour, but tests for this fluid being resorted to, the idea 
proved to be erroneous ; a third opinion was that imperfectly formed 
blood had got into the urine, and thus imparted to it that tinge. 
Professor Simonds’ view, and the one which I myself take, is that 
deteriorated blood is the specific cause, and that the haematine or 
colouring matter of the blood leaves the red cells by the law of exos- 
mose, and, contaminating the liquor sanguinis, thus tinges the urine. 
This, however, though in my opinion the most feasible, has yet to 
be fully proved, and which 1 think the transparency of the. urine 
has partly done. Certainly it is a peculiarity that belongs to no 
other disease, and the very fact of its being so affords plenty of food 
for discussion, and a large field for the inquiring mind of those 
gentlemen who feel an interest (and I believe we all do) in seeking 
out the causes and effects of the numerous and peculiar pathological 
changes that take place in those cases that come under our notice. 
The duration of this disease is from about five to six days ; should 
there be no diminution of the symptoms by the third or fourth day, 
our prognosis must be unfavorable. 
Post-mortem. — Firstly, as to those organs which are considered by 
many persons to be the chief seat of the disease, viz., the kidneys 
(though they are but the part from which this red fluid issues, their 
function being to secrete the urine in whatever state it may be 
formed) ; these, if the animal has lived five or six days, are in a soft 
condition, and on pressure a reddish fluid oozes out. On dissection 
the ureters are found to be stained the same colour, but the organs 
themselves are rarely inflamed. The liver is likewise softened and 
dark coloured, and its structure easily broken up, and the gall- 
bladder is generally full of bile, which may be accounted for by the 
■ suspension of rumination, and therefore, not being called into want, 
the bile is not thrown out. The digestive organs themselves are in 
an abnormal condition, but there is really no organic disease. The 
stomachs are often found full, particularly the maniplus, or third 
stomach, the contents of which are hard and dry, possessing a baked 
appearance. The skin and tissues underneath are of a yellow tinge, 
and which colour appears in many other parts of the body. Be- 
yond what 1 have mentioned there is very little else to notice. 
And now as to the treatment of the disease. 
Bleeding has been strongly advocated by some practitioners as the 
first thing to be resorted to, and as strongly condemned by others. 
I for one am very averse to bleeding in large quantities ; but 1 do 
