60 VESICAL CALCULI. 



the stone, and a state of fulness of the organ. Symptoms of 

 colic, the discharge of urine which deposits a thick sediment, 

 the occasional discharge of blood, are all symptoms of stone 

 in the bladder. The diagnosis is rendered certain by exami- 

 ning the bladder per rectum, when the presence of a stone 

 is readily ascertained, or by sounding with a metallic instru- 

 ment. Such a sound is used in female animals, though even 

 for horses a flexible metallic instrument has been devised by 

 Mr Taylor of Nottingham. 



In all male animals the urethra must be opened over the 

 ischiatic notch. The operation is a very simple one, and is 

 usually attended with success. The catheter being passed, 

 an incision is made in the middle line into the urethra, and 

 with the aid of a pair of forceps, and sometimes of a dilator, 

 the stone is removed.* 



In the mare, lithotrity, or crushing of the stone, has been 

 resorted to with success. The urethra should be dilated with 

 an instrument devised for the purpose, or in some cases it has 

 been found necessary to make an incision into the urethra. 



(d) Urethral Calculi are frequently seen in male animals, 

 and are especially common and fatal in rams, in consequence 

 of their not passing readily through the vermiform appendix. 

 The calculi of the urethra pass from the bladder and lead to 

 symptoms of retention, such as I have described at page 36. 

 That the difficulty of voiding urine is due to a calculus in the 

 urethra, is ascertained by examination of the penis. 



In sheep, urethral calculi often occur in certain districts, 

 as on the Cotswold hills. The affected animals pant and 

 refuse food, they grunt, attempt to urinate, are very restless, 

 alternately rise and lie down, and are very dull and listless. 

 The symptoms become more violent, abdominal pains in- 

 crease, the irritative fever is very marked, and the animals 

 * See the Veterinarian's Vade Mecum. 



