6o CLINICAL VETERINARY .MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 



haemorrhage may occur, even when the principal vessels are ligatured 

 or closed by forceps. Barthelemy used this method in a horse with 

 paralysis of the penis following influenza. He confined himself to 

 amputation pure and simple, without taking any haemostatic precau- 

 tions, without tying the arteries or cauterising the stump. During 

 the following days a considerable discharge of blood occurred when 

 the animal staled. In all a large quantity was lost, " fifty pounds," it 

 was said, but nevertheless the horse was able to return to work on the 

 tenth day. 



Any of the methods of operation just passed in review may involve 

 a grave complication, which usually appears during the third month 

 after recovery. I refer to contraction of the lower part of the urethra. 

 Contraction of the cicatricial tissue developed in the stump first reduces 

 and then more or less completely closes the urethral orifice. This 

 complication is especially to be feared when the penis is of large size 

 at the point where amputation is practised, /. e. in cases of paralysis. 

 As soon as this attains a certain degree, emission of urine becomes 

 difficult ; it escapes in a fine intermittent jet, and ends by being 

 expelled drop by drop. Colicky s}mptoms then appear, and if relief 

 is not afforded the animal may die of rupture of the bladder. The 

 simplest method of remedying this condition is to introduce into the 

 urethral opening the points of a pair of dressing forceps, or of strong 

 artery forceps, and while opening the jaws to steadily withdraw the 

 instrument. The cicatricial tissue is thus broken down, and the 

 orifice for the time being rendered patent ; but contraction soon recurs, 

 and with it the same difficulty in micturition. A new operation 

 becomes necessary, in consequence of which the walls of the urethra 

 afterwards become indurated for a greater distance ; finally the opera- 

 tion becomes insufiicient. Perinaeal urethrotomy must then be per- 

 formed, or the animal slaughtered. 



Contraction of the urethra may be avoided by one of the two 

 following methods. 



The first consists in cutting through with the bistoury or thermo- 

 cautery all the tissues of the penis except the urethra, which, after 

 having been carefully dissected out, is divided about three quarters of 

 an inch nearer the free end. This kind of artificial urethral tube is 

 afterwards divided vertically and transversely, so as to form four flaps, 

 each of which is fixed to the amputated surface by means of a suture. 

 In the other method, derived from human surgery, where it was first 

 practised by Richet and Ricord, and afterwards skilfully modified by 

 M. Guyon, a reversed V-shaped incision is made immediately above 



