250 OXALATE OF LIME IN THE URINE OF THE HORSE. 
IC In horses afflicted with Bright’s disease of the kidney, said 
by Fraas to be very common, about six per cent, of albumen 
occurs in the urine, mostly in the shape of globules ; the 
urine is then coloured red, and contains iron.” 
Now I should really feel deeply obliged to Professor 
Gamgee, or any of your readers, if they will kindly state 
whether they have ever seen u Bright’s disease” in the horse, 
and what are the symptoms ; for in the human subject it is 
so formidable an affliction, and so well marked generally, 
that after thirty years’ practice I feel ashamed to find that 
what Professor Fraas says so frequently exists, I have 
entirely overlooked. 
There appears to me, also, considerable obscurity in 
Professor Fraas’ statement, that the albumen, in this disease, 
found in the urine is in the shape of globules. I have ex- 
amined the urine of the human subject in a great many 
instances when the patient has been suffering under 
“ Bright’s disease” of kidney, but have never found globules 
of albumen, or indeed albumen at all, till separated by heat 
or acid, or both ; and then not in globules, but in a pulpy or 
flaky mass. The colouring matter alluded to also by the 
Professor, is not a necessary consequence of u Bright’s 
disease,” although when the urine is red the colour is given 
by hsematosine, the colouring matter of the blood, and that 
of course contains iron. Bloody urine is a very common 
disorder amongst horses in India, and I am by no means 
satisfied that the origin of the blood can be traced to its 
source. That it is blood is clear, for the corpuscles can be 
most distinctly seen by the microscope, and, as a matter of 
course, where blood is there also must be albumen ; but this 
does not constitute Bright’s disease; for in some instances 
the blood is seen to coagulate on the floor of the stall, and 
yet in a day or two the horse may be perfectly free from this 
morbid secretion — and that too very often without treatment. 
The native horse-dealers never attempt to stop it; for rather 
than consider it injurious, their opinion is that it is beneficial, 
and a sign of health. In this I by no means agree with them, 
although it is certain that the disorder may exist for an 
indefinite period without apparently producing mischief. 
1 have written this in the midst of so many avocations, 
that I trust your readers will overlook trifling errors ; but 
the subject is one of interest, and, in my opinion, of serious 
consequence to the student of veterinary medicine. 
What, may 1 ask, is the use of cramming the heads of 
pupils, or the pages of the Veterinarian , with quotations from 
authors of whom we know so little, unless some examination 
