488 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
open, doubtless because of the long, narrow channel through which the 
urine must otherwise escape. The urethra, too, is sometimes abnormally 
narrow, or even closed, in the male. If part of the cord remains tie it 
and allow the whole to wither up naturally. If the cord has been re- 
moved and the tube (urachus), protrudes, discharging the urnie, that 
alone must be tied. If there is nothing pendent the urachus must be 
seized, covered by the skin, and, a curved needle being passed through the 
skin and above the duct, it may be tied along with this skin. A blister 
of Spanish flies, causing swelling of the skin, will often close the orifice. 
So with the hot iron. If the urethra of the male is impervious it can 
rarely be remedied. 
INFLAMMATION OF THE URACHUS (NAVEL UEINE DUCT). 
This may originate in direct mechanical injury to the navel in calving, 
or shortly after, with or without the lodgment of irritant and septic mat- 
ter on its lacerated or cut end. The mere contact with healthy urine, 
hitherto harmless, can now be looked on as becoming suddenly irritating. 
The affection is usually marked by the presence of redness and swelling 
at the posterior part of the naval and the escape of urine and a few drops 
of v/hitish serous pus from the orifice of the urachus. In those cases in 
which urine is not discharged a tender swelling, like a thick cord extend- 
ing upward and backward from the navel into the abdomen, may be iden- 
tified. The naval enlargement may be considerable, but it is solid, does 
not gurgle on handling, and can not be done away with by pressing it 
back into the abdomen, as in a case of hernia. 
In cases at first closed the pus may burst out later, coming from the 
back part of the navel and the swelling extending backward. In other 
cases whitish pus may pass with the urine by the ordinary channel, show- 
ing that it has opened back into the bladder. In other cases the umbilical 
veins become involved, in which case the swelling extends forward as well 
as backward. Thus the disease may result in destructive disorders of 
the liver, lungs, and, above all, of the joints. 
The disease may usually be warded off or rendered simply and com- 
paratively harmless by applying antiseptics to the navel string at birth 
(carbolic acid 1 part, water and glycerin 5 parts each, or wood tar). 
Later, antiseptics may be freely used (hyposulphite of soda 4 drams, 
water 1 quart) as an application to the surface and as an injection into 
the urachus, or even into the bladder if the two still communicate. If 
they no longer communicate, a stronger injection may be used (tincture 
of perchlorid of iron 60 drops, alcohol 1 ounce). Several weeks will be 
required for complete recovery. 
ABSCESS OF THE NAVEL. 
As the result of irritation at calving or by the withered cord or by 
licking with the rough tongue of the cow, inflammation may attack the 
loose connective tissue of the navel to the exclusion of the urachus and 
veins, and go on to the formation of matter. In this case a firm svrelling 
appears as large as the fist, which softens in the center and may finally 
