468 ON DISEASES OF THE KIDNEYS. '■ 



though in common ufe, is an improper term) 

 often afflifts aged horfes, or fuch as are hard 

 worked, and hardly ufed. It is an obIlru6lion 

 at the neck of the bladder, preventing the 

 courfe of the urine, or fuifering it to pafs only 

 in drops ; and arifes either from an inordinate 

 diftention, and confequent lofs of elafticity and 

 force, in the detrujores urincc, with a paralyfis 

 of the Jphinder mufcle, from the h.orfe being 

 driven on, and forced to retain his water too 

 long, and other caufes of debility ; or a collec- 

 tion of matter derived from difeafed kidneys, 

 or the determination of catarrh or fever. The 

 fymptoms are obvious, didended flanks, firad- 

 dling, with frequent ineffeftual motions to 

 ftale ; but the horfe will fometimes lie down on 

 his back and roll, as in a colic. 



In the Cure of this malady, it is a general 

 rule, to which I know of no exception, that 

 all drailic diuretics (at leafl in any confiderable 

 dofes) fliould be religicuily avoided ; hnce they 

 do but excite a more copious fecretion of urine 

 from the kidneys, and of courle increafe the 

 diftention of the bladder, its inflammation, or 

 the numbnefs and debility of its mufcles. In a 

 cafe of defperate necefliiy, I Oiould fuppofe no 

 meafure could be {o effeftual, or fo lafe, as an 

 evacuation of the urine by the proper furgical 

 operation, which by emptying the bladder, 

 ' would give opportunity for the recovery of its 



tone ; 



