560 
REPORTS OF CASES. 
fed at intervals. I found him the following morning lying full 
length on a bed of straw under a shed, from which he rose 
readily when requested to do so ; but this time locomotion was 
out of the question, due to an affliction of the right hind leg, his 
weight now being supported on the left. I left word for this 
leg to be rubbed with spts. terebinth., and the sanmetto to be 
continued as before, and in addition, drachm doses of potassii 
iodide three times a day. The use of the right leg, however, 
did not return, the horse positively refusing to take a step for¬ 
ward until electricity was applied over the gluteal muscles, 
which caused him, after putting up with as much of it as he 
could, to kick at me with the affected member, and when I still 
persisted with it, to walk away from me ; this was repeated the 
following morning and the animal led to a near-by pasture, 
where he was allowed to spend several weeks, during which 
time improvement in the affected leg was steady but gradual, 
and finally restoration was complete. 
The question now arises, as to what the recovery was due,— 
the bicarbonate of soda, the sanmetto, the iodide of potash, or 
the electricity? In my opinion, equally to them all. To the 
bicarbonate of soda as an antacid and neutralizer of the poison¬ 
ous products generated by effete material endeavoring to leave 
the system via kidneys and bladder ; to the sanmetto as a speci¬ 
fic tonic to these consequently overtaxed organs; to the iodide 
of potash as an absorbent and alterative, thus increasing the 
means of elimination of the waste products resulting from the 
general disturbance and temporary suspension of the functions 
of the urinary apparatus; to the electricity as a stimulant to 
the circulation over the region of the gluteal muscles, and a 
tonic to the crural nerve, a partial paralysis of which being said 
to account for the lingering lameness in one or other of the 
hind extremities in many cases, as in this one, after the acute 
symptoms have subsided. The cathartic given preceding these 
remedies was intended simply to lessen the demand for exit of 
effete materials through the kidneys, as soon as its action on 
the bowels could be established. Therefore, it would seem that 
in a case of azoturia we can follow no other rule than that of 
treating symptoms, after the two first main indications, to en¬ 
deavor to neutralize and disperse the poisonous products present 
at the time our patient shows the symptoms which alarm his 
driver, and to tone up those organs on which a demand is im¬ 
mediately made for the carrying off of the same, the kidneys. 
Therefore, bicarbonate of soda and sanmetto respectively. 
