Benefit may also be obtained from fomentations, or cupping of the loins, and even from the application of mustard and counter-irritants.
If the active symptoms subside the continued use of tonics would be indicated, especially quinia, and also of the balsams with the view at once of antisepsis and toning up of the mucous membrane.
In case of calculus of the pelvis surgical extraction is virtually the only resort, though a very desperate one. Its increase may be retarded or prevented by antisepsis, a liberal use of water, and the exhibition of piperazin or some of the essential oils.
CHRONIC NEPHRITIS.
Cases destroyed as eating their heads off. Causes: sequel of acute nephritis, swill, lead, experimentally, microbian invasions, toxins, metastatic embolism, extension from aortic disease, sclerostoma, nitrogenous overfeeding, toxins of putrid food, or cryptogams, valvular disease of the right heart, rheumatism, heaves, calculus, starvation, debility, retention of urine. Symptoms: emaciation, flabby muscles, lack of vigor, stiff loins and quarters, short step, straddling, fatigue under slight exertion, groaning in trot, or in turning, droops when mounted, slow to rise on hind limbs, poor capricious appetite, anæmia, stocked legs, dropsies, urine of lower density, albuminous, with granular epithelium and casts, abundant in early stages, scanty with weakened heart and degenerated kidneys. Secondary palpitations, bronchial catarrh, pneumonia, hemorrhage, stupor, lethargy, vertigo, etc. Lesions: recent cases, kidney large, cortex firm, capsule adherent, with granular fatty debris, and tubular casts; old cases, kidney contracted, fibroid, glomeruli and tubules atrophied. Bronchitis, pneumonia, hepatic cirrhosis, heart enlarged, fatty, dilated, insufficient valves. Prognosis unfavorable. Treatment: gentle exercise, warmth, succulent food, amylaceous, tonics, iron, bitters, mineral acids, heart tonics, for polyuria bromides or iodides, balsams, pilocarpin, fomentations or sinapisms to loins.
Chronic nephritis has received little attention in the lower animals for various reasons. The lower animals largely escape the causative factors of alcoholism and chronic lead and copper poisoning, and when suffering from any chronic affection that disqualifies the animal for use and renders it anæmic and emaciated it is naturally sacrificed to save the cost of maintenance. In spite of this a considerable number of cases have been recorded in horses, and cattle and especially in dogs and cats.
Causes. Cases of acute nephritis sometimes improve and give promise of recovery without completing the work of convalescence. Trasbot notes such cases in the dog, and Dickinson in the ox. Alcoholic nephritis and degenerations are to be sought for especially in cattle kept on distillery and brewery dregs. Lead taken in small quantities in soft water that has run through lead pipes or stood in leaden cisterns produces in cows and other animals chronic affections of the kidney. Ellenberger and Hofmeister have produced the disease experimentally with lead and copper respectively.
Microbian invasions of the kidney that advance slowly like glanders and tubercle are further causes of chronic nephritis. Other secondary microbian infections of the kidney are complications of infectious diseases in other parts, including abscess, pyæmia, septicæmia, ulcerative endocarditis of the left heart, bronchitis, pneumonia (Fröhner), and of others less directly in the line of the circulation, as omphalitis, uterine phlebitis (Lustig), abscess of the nasal sinuses, bones, and fistulæ (Trasbot).
In other cases the nephritis is evidently a result of the irritation caused by toxins in process of elimination by the kidneys, as there is no evidence of a nephritic infection.
In some instances minute emboli originating in the lungs or heart, become the starting point of the nephritis, which slowly extends by reason of infection or low condition and special susceptibility. Disease of the aorta or renal artery may lead to this condition as noticed by Cadeac and Lustig. Cadeac has also noticed its association with aneurism of the mesenteric arteries so that the strongylus (sclerostoma) armatus may be considered as a factor. Again in old horses and dogs it has been associated with atheroma of the aorta and renal vessels (Trasbot).