ON RED-WATER IN CATTLE. 
91 
liver and kidneys. The liver is situated principally in the right 
hypochondriac region, between the diaphragm and the third 
stomach. It has peritoneal attachments which maintain it in its 
place, connecting it with the spine, the diaphragm, and the parietes 
of the abdomen, together with its lobes or divisions. The last are 
of unequal size. The right lobe is larger than that in the liver of 
the horse ; the smaller one is, compared with the other, very dimi- 
nutive : taken as a whole, the liver is smaller than that organ in 
the horse. 
The blood from the other parts of the abdomen, instead of pass- 
ing directly into the heart, enters into and is spread through every 
part of the liver by means of the necessary vessels which divide 
its substance into almost innumerable branches. As it passes 
through this organ a fluid is separated from it called the bile. 
Differences of opinion have existed as to the properties and uses 
of this fluid. Into the study of these we shall not at present enter; 
however, we think that it performs an important part in the dis- 
ease now under consideration. 
The kidneys are two glandular substances of the conglomerate 
class, situated under the muscles of the loins and one on each side, 
the spine. On account of the immense size of the rumen, the left kid- 
ney is situated more posteriorly than the right one is. A large 
artery runs to each, by some said to convey one- fifth part of the 
whole blood circulating through the animal. These arteries divide 
into a vast number of little branches, coiled upon and having free 
communication with each other. The blood traverses all those 
vessels, and, in the course of so doing is not only purified of all its 
superabundant watery parts, but also from whatever would neces- 
sarily prove hurtful to the circulatory system, and through that to 
the constitution in general. I should have mentioned that the kid- 
neys are of considerably greater size in the ox than in the horse, 
which points out their importance. Connected with this disease, 
we shall consider that great excretory or secretory organ, the liver. 
Under the above circumstances, we find this important viscus 
taking on increased and inordinate action, in order to purify the 
circulation from the mass of putrid matter which we find enter 
the blood from the partially diseased uterus. The consequence of 
this increased action is a large quantity of vitiated bile, the appear- 
ance of which in the intestines is the signal for derangement. Its 
acrid nature having the effect of increasing the peristaltic motions, 
exciting the mucous surface, and producing the diarrhoea that almost 
uniformly attends the commencement of red-water. 
Moreover, the bile not only deranges the digestive system, but 
it will again be partially taken into the circulation ; and, knowing 
