86 
DR. DAVENPORT. 
goes on to say: It seems as through the aspiratory power of 
the chest under the increased exertion and accelerated breath¬ 
ing speedily draws from the gorged liver and abdominal 
veins (portal) the accumulated store of nitrogenous matter in 
an imperfectly oxidized or elaborated condition, and as if the 
blood surcharged with these materials was unable to main¬ 
tain the healthy function of the nerve centers and muscles. 
A peculiar anatomical feature of the horse’s liver doubtless 
contributes to this, viz., the persistence throughout life of 
several considerable veins leading directly from the veins of 
the stomach and intestines into the posterior vena cava and 
heart. This condition, common to foetal mammals, persists 
through life in solipeds only among our domesticated ani¬ 
mals ; in all others the portal vein has no communication 
with the vena cava except through the capillaries of the liver. 
With the direct channel, the rich, crude blood coming from 
the intestines is drawn at once into the general circulation, 
unchanged by the secretions in the liver and the chemical 
changes therein affected. Hence this disease is peculiar to 
solipeds ; it has been noticed rather more frequently in mares 
than in horses, attributable, perhaps, to the nervous excite¬ 
ment attendant on heat, and to the fact that the unmutilated 
mare is naturally more excitable than the docile gelding. 
The exact nature of this disease is imperfectly understood, 
although a good many solutions have been advanced for years. 
There is no inflammation of the kidneys, no specific organ¬ 
isms are charged with its production; the condition of the 
urine throws some light upon its pathology ; the color of the 
urine would seem to a casual observer as though it contained 
blood, but it has been well established that such is not the 
case. Law says the color is due to haemoglobin and other 
imperfectly elaborated constituents of the blood. It is scanty 
in quantity; the specific gravity is not much altered ; it re¬ 
tains its normal alkalinity, but invariably it contains albumen 
from the first, which gradually diminishes toward the third 
or fourth day ; it also contains a great excess of urea, and 
occasionally traces of sugar. 
With regard to the treatment of the disease there is very 
