DISEASES OF THE LIVER, URINARY ORGANS, ETC. 339 



complication of gravel in an aggravated form. "Jimson 

 seed " was employed as an alterative and tonic in treating 

 the distemper, and effectually cured the gravel also. 



The dose is an ounce, or large table-spoonful, in the feed, 

 every other day, until the horse is better, or until i^ve or six 

 doses have been given. Accompanying this, prepare and 

 give the following : Four ounces of the spirits of niter, half 

 an ounce of the oil of juniper, and one ounce of the oil of 

 sassafras. Divide this into four doses, and give one of them 

 in the morning, and another at night, for two successive days. 



The other remedy is to take a quart of green coffee, and 

 boil it in a gallon of water until the strength is all out, and 

 only about a quart of water is left.- Divide this into three 

 doses, and give one dose, with an ounce of spirits of niter 

 in it, every other day. 



In an experience of twenty years, we have seen but few 

 well-defined cases of gravel. Four or five we treated, and 

 of these we succeeded in curing all but one. The exception 

 was a mule in most pitiful condition when we first saw him. 

 There had been an entire suppression of urine for a week, 

 and the parts were very much swollen. Whether our di- 

 rections were strictly carried out we never learned, but we 

 did learn that the animal died. 



SUPPRESSION OF URINE. 



This painful disorder has already been adverted to as one 

 of the occasional symptoms of gravel, and the presence of 

 large calculi in the kidneys and bladder; but this, although 

 the most common cause, is by no means the only one. The 

 same effect may follow stricture of the urethra, produced by 

 some mechanical injury. The urethra, as the reader will 

 recollect, is the canal extending from the neck of the blad- 

 der, and through which the urine is voided. Inflammation 

 and swelling of the neck of the bladder also may obstruct 

 or entirely prevent the urinal flow. From whatever cause 

 it has originated, such a condition is necessarily productive 

 of intense pain. 



