REPORTS OF CASES. 
97 
with hind limbs, as if the act of carrying the limbs forward 
produced pain. 
We diagnosed acute nephritis and our suspicions rested 
on the food or water as the probable cause. 
The water from a shallow well in close proximity to the 
sugar house and other buildings was suspected by the owner, 
and he afterwards watered the animals from the Mississippi 
river, which runs close past the plantation. We carefully 
examined the food in the stable (oats and peavine hay) which 
seemed of good sound quality. After numerous interroga¬ 
tions, however, as to feeding on damp or mouldy hay at any 
time within the last few months, we had presented to us by 
the stableman a sample of dark colored and gray mouldy 
peavine hay, and was informed that for two months previous 
they had been feeding it to the mules. 
We had the opportunity of making a cursory autopsy on 
one of the mules that had died the night before our arrival. 
All the internal organs appeared healthy except the kidneys, 
to which our attention was more especially directed. Each 
gland weighed about six pounds (we could only procure 
weights sufficient to weigh three pounds at once, and each 
half of each kidney weighed about three pounds). 
On opening we found a lightish yellow gelatinous fluid in 
the pelvis. The cortical portion presented streaks of con¬ 
gestion and numerous small abscesses containing pus, scat¬ 
tered over the cut surface. 
We are of the opinion this disease originated probably as 
polyurea caused by the damaged hay and presumably 
assisted by the water, and that the exciting cause being kept 
up and the diseased condition allowed to go on unchecked, 
resulted in suppurative hephritis ; at all events in the subject of 
our post-mortem examination. 
The treatment prescribed for the twelve affected mules 
was 
B Iodine, Grs. xx. 
Potas. Iodid, 3 i. 
Aqua, oi. 
Sig.—Twice daily. 
