158 DISEASES OF CATTLE, SHEEP, GOATS, ETC. 



in service. Again, the ox rarely protrudes the tip of the penis in 

 urination, the urine is discharged into the preputial pouch and lodges 

 and decomposes there, so that there is a great liability to the precipi- 

 tation of its earthy salts in the form of gravel. The decomposing 

 ammoniacal urine, the gritty crystals precipitated from it, and the 

 fetid, rancid, sebaceous matter set up inflammation in the delicate 

 mucous membrane lining the passage. The membrane is thickened, 

 reddened, rendered friable, and ultimately ulcerated, and the now 

 narrowed sheath is blocked by the increasing mass of sebaceous and 

 urinous material and the decomposing mucus and pus. The penis 

 can no longer be protruded, the urine escapes in a small stream 

 through the narrowing sheath, and finally the outlet is completely 

 blocked and the urine distends the back part of the sheath. This 

 will fluctuate on being handled, and soon the unhealthy inflamma- 

 tion extends on each side of it, causing a thick, doughy, tender swell- 

 ing under the belly and between the thighs. The next step in the 

 morbid course is overdistention of the bladder, with the occurrence of 

 colicky pains, looking at the flanks, uneasy movements of the hind 

 limbs, raising or twisting of the tail, pulsatory contractions of the 

 urethra under the anus, and finally a false appearance of relief, which 

 is caused by rupture of the bladder. Before this rupture takes place 

 the distended bladder may press on the rectum and obstruct the pas- 

 sage of the bowel dejections. Two mistakes are therefore probable 

 first, that the bowels alone are to be relieved, and, second, that the 

 trouble is obstruction of -the urethra by a stone. Hence the need of 

 examining the sheath and pushing the finger into its opening to see 

 that there is no obstruction there, in all cases of retention of urine, 

 overdistended bladder, or blocked rectum in the ox. The disease may 

 be acute or chronic the first by reason of acute adhesive inflamma- 

 tion blocking the outlet, the second by gradual thickening and ul- 

 ceration of the sheath and blocking by the sebaceous and calculous 

 accretions. 



Treatment. The treatment of this affection will depend on the 

 stage. If recent and no instant danger of rupture of the bladder, 

 the narrow opening of the sheath should be freely cut open in the 

 median line below, and the sac emptied out with a finger or spoon, 

 after which it should be thoroughly washed with tepid water. To 

 make the cleansing more thorough a catheter or a small rubber 

 tube may be inserted well back into the sheath, and water may be 

 forced through it from a syringe or a funnel inserted into the other 

 end of the tube and considerably elevated. A fountain syringe, 

 which should be found in every house, answers admirably. The 

 sheath may be daily washed out with tepid water, with a suds made 

 with Castile soap, or with a weak solution of sulphate of zinc (one- 

 half dram to a quart of water) . If these attentions are impossible, 

 most cases, after cleansing, will do well if merely driven through 

 clean water up to the belly once a day. 



In case the disease has progressed to absolute obstruction, with 

 the bladder ready to rupture any moment, no time must be lost in 



