136 
DR. OSLER. 
(black dysuria), or “ Windrehe” (wind-founders), comes on, as a rule, 
quite suddenly, and without premonitions. A horse, after standing for 
a few days in a warm stall is brought out and driven for a short time or 
worked. There is noticed, often within half an hour, as the first symp¬ 
toms, a sudden outbreak of sweat, weakness in the hind legs, and the 
animal falls as if exhausted by overwork, often being unable, without 
assistance, again to stand up. Soon one or other of the hind limbs 
become paralyzed, often both. As a rule, there is observed a piarked 
adematous swelling, arising, quite acutely, in the lumbar region, extend- 
mg along the back m the neighborhood of the kidneys, and posteriorly 
to the tail. The muscles in these localities are as hard as boards. The 
urine presents a remarkable change, possessing a dark red, coffee 
brown, or chocolate color, a strongly acid reaction (in the beginning 
often alkaline), high specific gravity, and, on microscopical examination, 
contains either none or only a few red corpuscles ; but, on the other 
hand, chaiacteristic tube-casts, hyaline at first, later, granular and epi¬ 
thelial. Chemically, the presence of albumen in considerable amount 
can be detected, and also with the aid of the spectroscope hoemoglobin 
(hcemoglobinuria). Under favorable conditions recovery takes place, 
often in a short time, an hour, or more commonly in several. In severe 
eases there is fever, with evening exacerbations, the temperature rising 
to 40-41° C.; in many instances, even at the initial sweating, the 
temperature has been from 41-42° C. Pulse and respirations are^more 
or less increased—in the later stages there is difficulty of respiration. 
The appetite is often retained ; in many cases, lessened or absent. There 
is great thirst, the consciousness is unclouded. In cases of recovery, 
the specific gravity of the urine quickly diminishes; the albumen and 
the dark color disappear, and in twenty-four hours the animal appears 
perfectly sound again. Sometimes one hind leg remains lame for a few 
days or even a week. In an unfavorable issue, which happens in the 
majority of cases, the disease usually lasts three or four days, but may 
end fatally in a much shorter time. At the autopsy, the blood is found 
dark and dirty-looking; the muscles are soft, appearing as if cooked ; 
the liver clay-colored; the kidneys softened, sometimes very slightly 
changed ; the bladder is empty, or contains tar-colored urine. In the 
spinal cavity, the arachnoideal fluid is increased, and the vessels of the 
membranes, especially in the lumbar region, have been found injected. 
The following illustrations of the disease are given : 
Observation I. A 7-year old horse, which had been standing in the 
Stable for four days, was attacked with symptoms of the disease after 
