URETHRAL CALCULI IN THE HORSE. 619 



Urethral calculi in the horse are only exceptionally found close 

 behind the glans. When in this position, however, they may be 

 removed without much difficulty or bleeding, by the operator standing 

 on the left side of the animal, drawing the penis forward by means 

 of a cloth, or allowing an assistant to hold it, and then grasping the 

 calculus with dressing forceps passed into the urethra. Sometimes 

 strong pressure on the penis with the hand is sufficient, or the urethral 

 orifice may be enlarged, and the calculus thus removed. Urine 

 then generally flows away in large quantities, if not, a catheter must 

 be passed, to discover whether other calculi remain in the urethra. 



Landvatter removed from a gelding, by means of forceps, a calculus 

 about 1 J inches in length and J inch thick, which lay in the terminal portion 

 of the urethra. Two years later he took from the same animal a still 

 larger one, which was fixed in the urethra 4 inches from the anus. 

 Reicherter grasped a calculus, lying 1£ inches in front of the opening of 

 the urethra, with a pair of dressing forceps and broke it down ; fragments 

 were afterwards passed with the urine. In a case seen by Rother, the 

 calculus, which lay about 2J inches behind the glans, had caused ulceration 

 and perforation of the urethra, in consequence of which urine had extensively 

 infiltrated into the neighbouring tissues. The animal died from rupture 

 of the bladder. Muller cured a horse apparently suffering from colic by 

 removing two chalky concretions from the urethra ; one from just behind 

 the urethral orifice, the other about 4 inches further back. Concretions of 

 inspissated smegma lying in the sub-urethral sinus may also cause dysuria 

 in the horse. 



Two cases of urinary calculi passed per urethram are related in The 

 Veterinarian for 1896. A. M. McFarlane saw a horse apparently suffering 

 from colic pass a stone weighing about 5 drachms, and of the size of the 

 illustration (see Fig. 426). Thos. Mellis saw a three months old foal, which 

 was violently straining to micturate and was evidently in great pain. On 

 examination the body illustrated (Fig. 427) was found protruding from the 

 meatus urinarius, and was without much difficulty removed. The figure 

 is natural size, but Mr. Mellis states that nearly 1 inch was broken off in 

 removal, and the total size was therefore much greater. This was probably 

 a cystin calculus. 



As a rule, in the horse, the calculus lies at the height of the ischial 

 arch, where the urethra turns downwards and forwards. As casting 

 an animal with distended bladder is open to danger, it is usual to 

 operate in the standing position, the patient being controlled by 

 twitches and its hind legs extended. To prevent accident it is best 

 to place the animal in slings or stocks, so that it cannot lie down. 

 Should a really dangerous horse require to be cast, every precaution 

 must be taken, and a very thick straw bed provided. It is best 

 to operate with the animal on the left side or back ; the latter is 

 perhaps preferable. 



After plaiting the tail and cleansing the skin, a catheter or 



