Nephritis

Inflammation of the kidneys, Bright's disease. There are acute and chronic forms. Acute nephritis, caused by exposure; poisons of specific fevers, as scarlet fever and diphtheria; toxic agents, as cantharides; pregnancy, etc. It is characterized by dropsy, scanty dark-colored urine, pain in back, and more or le febrile symptoms. Chronic nephritis may follow an acute attack or occur insidiously as a primary disease, the result of intemperance, or without apparent cause. Two forms are recognized: Parynchymatous and Interstitial. The former, more common among young adults, is characterized by obstinate dropsy and has an earlier and more fatal termination: the latter, more frequent in old age, without marked dropsy, seldom recognized in the early stage and runs a much slower course.