132 HEMATURIA (ACUTE RED-WATER) IN CATTLE. 
There can be no doubt that this malady, whatever it be, has its 
principal determination to the kidneys : the mucous membranes 
that line their cavities become the seat of a sanguineous exhalation 
or a passive haemorrhage ; the blood, very fluid under these cir¬ 
cumstances, does not coagulate; it passes through the ureters 
into the bladder, mingles with the urine, and stains it of its own 
colour. It is usually evacuated without any apparent pain, 
but those evacuations are rendered somewhat more frequent by 
the additional specific gravity of the blood. 
If this exhalation is continued, the blood is deprived of its 
fibrinous and colouring matter, and the urine becomes black. 
If a vein is opened, the blood appears serous and discoloured, 
and the hand introduced into the vessel which contains it is 
scarcely stained. If the hgemorrhage is not subdued, the kidneys 
lose all their power, and the bleeding is purely passive : the 
beatings of the heart become exceedingly strong, while the ar¬ 
terial pulsations are scarcely felt : the animal, at length, is no 
longer able to support himself, and he dies, in a manner, bloodless. 
In the ruminant, heematuria does not take the same course, 
nor has it the same termination, as in the solipede. The differ¬ 
ence in the organization of these animals, their different idiosyn- 
cracies, and food, and work, are so many sufficient causes of 
this. I have never seen it, in cattle, terminate in gangrene, or 
suppuration, or ulceration of the kidneys or the bladder, although 
we do often find calculi, both renal and vesical, and particularly 
those of a golden colour. Possibly hmmaturia is occasionally 
produced by the existence and rapid development of these con¬ 
cretions. 
Some animals, as I have already stated, appear to suffer little 
from this disease—they are scarcely at all incommoded by it. 
In many cows the secretion of milk does not appear to be in the 
least degree diminished ; but the animals preserve their ordinary 
spirits and appetite. The prognosis will, of course, be favour¬ 
able in such cases. The hgemorrhage will seldom last in them 
more than one or two days : should it, however, continue to the 
third or fourth day, there is nothing to apprehend, while the 
animal retains his ordinary appetite. The bloody tint of the 
urine oftenest disappears about that time. If, on the contrary, the 
haematuria should continue, and the pulse should be small, and 
beat 70 or 80 times in a minute, the pulsations of the heart being 
at the same time violent; if there is complete loss of appetite, 
excessive debility, paleness and discolouration of the skin and 
mucous membranes, the animal will generally be lost, although, 
by more than usually skilful treatment, one may now and then 
be saved. 
