BRIGHT'S DISEASE. The common name for nephritis, or disease of the kidneys. It takes its name from Dr. Richard Bright (q.v.), an English physician, who, in 1827, first recog nized and described renal disease. and properly attributed to it the symptoms and the changes in the urine which it causes. The term is not distinctive, for it includes several forms of nephritis. For clinical purposes, diseases of the kidneys are classified according to the nature of the morbid existing, whether it be congestion, degeneration. or inflammation. These processes are attended by accumulation of blood in veins and capillaries of the kidneys, changes in their blood-vessels and tissues, formation of new tissue and death of tissue. with resulting local and general symptoms and disturbances of function. We have, then, acute and chronic congestion of the kidney, acute and chronic de generation of the kidney, acute and chronic exu dative nephritis, acute productive nephritis, chronic nephritis without exudation, suppura tive nephritis, and tubercular nephritis. There are many synonymous namec, for these diseases. The causcs of nephritis may he as follows: (1) Prolonged exposure to cold; (2) poisons, such as alcohol. turpentine, eantharides, lead. arsenic,
mercury. as well as the toxins produced during yellow fever, scarlet fever, gout, syphilis, sup puration. tubercle. cancer. etc.; (3) mechanical obstruction to the circulation, such as heart disease and pleurisy with effusion. The symp toms of nephritis differ. In acute nephritis the patient may have merely slight headache, pain in the back and in the legs, loss of appetite and nausea, or he may have fever. prostration, stu por, twitching, shortness of breath, and convul sions. The urine generally contains albumen and (lists, and there may be dropsy of the legs.
In the chronic forms of the disease the symp toms are less severe, though shortness of breath, severe headache, amemia, and dropsy generally predominate. in the treatment of nephritis', physicians generally recommend frequent change of scene and climate, reduction of tigars and starches and increase of fats in the diet. ab stinence from alcoholic beverage's and from to bacco, and life in the open air. Drugs are of much less value.