578 THE DISEASES AND DISORDERS OF THE OX. 



and known as the ureter. The calculus may become lodged 

 therein, and such passage may cause severe pain. The suffering 

 animal strains, stamps the feet, lashes the tail, looks round at 

 the side as if in wonder whence comes the torture. Relief may 

 be obtained by the judicious administration of opiates. 



Again, stones may be formed in the bladder. This is more 

 frequently an affection of male animals. It is often due to the 

 presence of a large quantity of certain salts in the food or water 

 — for instance, to a considerable amount of phosphates in oilcake 

 or turnips. In all cases of calculus the dietary should be looked 

 to, and a plentiful supply of water allowed. The patient moves 

 in a straddling manner, and is stiff in the region of the loins. 

 With regard to the flow of urine in these cases, it may often be 

 free at first, and then suddenly stop short, apparently because the 

 stone falls into the neck of the bladder, thus obstructing the 

 channel. Should the stone pass out of the bladder, and become 

 fixed in the urethra, then obstinate retention of urine is the 

 result, and so great may be the pressure of the fluid from above 

 that actual rupture of the urethra may occur. It is not 

 infrequent in cases of stone in the bladder to find blood in the 

 urine. 



Of the three operations which might be resorted to, viz. 

 artificial dilatation of the urethra by little inflated bladders or 

 otherwise, crushing of the stone by means of instruments made 

 for that purpose, or cutting for the stone, not one seems to be 

 usually very advisable in the case of the ox ; but advice should 

 be sought. In the case of female animals, perhaps, more success 

 may be hoped for. Should the calculus be present in the urethra, 

 as is not very uncommon in the ox, a longitudinal or obhque 

 incision may be made along that canal over the stone, that is in 

 case it can be found, and provided that its position renders 

 this step advisable. The patient must not be cast, as the violence 

 of the fall may bring on rupture. 



Finally, prseputial calculus may be removed by cutting away 

 the hairs at the preeputial orifice. 



Now, the first subject in this connection in regard to shee'p is 

 that of urethral calculi. These are frequently found to be 

 present in sheep kept in certain districts, as, for instance, on the 

 Cotswold Hills. The calculi are doubtless for the most part formed 

 in the urinary bladder, and then pass along the urethral canal. 



