NEPHRITIS, OR INFLAMMATION OF THE KIDNEYS.
Causes.—Bad provender, or niter in a mash, and long or fast work upon the following day.
Symptoms.—Hard, quick pulse; short breathing; pallid membranes; looking at the loins; depressed head; roached back; hind legs straddling; scanty urine; refusing to turn in the stall; and crouching under pressure on the loins. Subsequently, pus is voided with the water. If the urine has a fetid odor, if blood be present, if the pulse grows quicker, if pressure gives no pain, and if the perspiration has a urinous smell, death is near at hand. To be certain of nephritis, insert the arm up the rectum and move the hand toward the kidneys.
Treatment.—Rub mustard into the skin of the loins. Cover it over to prevent it becoming dry. Apply fresh sheepskins as soon as these can be procured. Inject warm linseed tea every hour. A ball composed of Croton farina, two scruples; extract of belladonna, half a drachm; treacle and linseed meal, a sufficiency, should be given immediately; one scruple of calomel; one drachm of opium should be sprinkled on the tongue every hour. A pail of linseed tea may be placed in the manger. Feed on linseed tea, and mind the oats—when allowed—are very good. While the pain is acute, give, thrice daily, a ball composed of extract of belladonna, half a drachm; crude opium, two drachms; honey and linseed meal, of each a sufficiency. When the pain is excessive, repeat the above ball every hour. Should the pulse increase and become wiry, a scruple of aconite should be thrown upon the tongue every half hour until the artery softens, or the animal becomes affected with the drug.
No cure is to be expected; the disease may be arrested, but the kidney must be left in an irritable state.
OCCULT SPAVIN.
Cause.—Treading on a stone.
Symptoms.—Sudden lameness, which never departs, but in the end becomes very bad. The disease is always worse after work, and better after rest. The foot is without disease, and the leg is not hot or painful; yet the lameness continues and gets worse. The leg is snatched up in the walk, and the foot is not turned outward.
Treatment.—Get the horse into slings. Rub the front of the hock with an embrocation composed of compound soap liniment, sixteen ounces; tincture of cantharides, liquor ammonia and laudanum, of each two ounces. After the joint is embrocated, wrap it round with flannel, held upon the hock with elastic rings. Give three feeds of corn, a few old beans, and sweet hay daily. After the horse bears upon the diseased limb, allow the slings to remain for three months. Three months after it has left the slings, put to gentle work, but mind the labor is not in any way exhausting. The work must not be full till six months have elapsed. Keep the bowels regular with bran mashes and green-meat. If all treatment fail, cast the horse; retract the injured limb; make a small puncture, and inject one ounce of dilute spirits of wine, in which half a drachm of iodine has been dissolved. Place the horse in slings, and apply cold water to the hock. When the pulse is quiet, feed very liberally.