SPASM OF THE NECK OF THE BLADDER. 339 



der, by means of Reid's pump, with the elastic catheter 

 attached to it. 



SPASM OF THE NECK OF THE BLADDER. 



Sometimes the neck of the bladder is spasmodically 

 affected, and this is said to occur more fi^equently to horses 

 than to mares. It is to be distinguished from inflammation 

 of the kidneys and the bladder, by the urine being for the 

 most part retained, and the horse making frequent ineffec- 

 tual efforts to stale ; while the true character of the affection 

 is discovered by passing the hand up the rectum ; the blad- 

 der will be found distended : often the distention may be 

 felt in the front of the pubes. The retention of urine, 

 however, is the principal symptom, although in spasm of 

 the neck of the bladder, there may be a small quantity of 

 urine evacuated at different times : for after the bladder is 

 distended, there will be, by the force of the accumulation, a 

 few drops now and then squeezed out. But in this disease 

 the frequent or copious staling will not take place, whereas 

 in the previous disease it will be continual. The causes of 

 this complaint we are in the dark about ; but it may be 

 reasonably supposed that the spasm of the part is occa- 

 sioned by morbid irritation, and our opinion of the probable 

 termination must depend on our capability of emptying the 

 distended bladder, and recovering the lost tone of the organ. 

 Every effort must be made to accomplish this, or the animal 

 may perish under irritation ; he may sink through gangrene 

 of the distended bladder supervening, or he may, as he 

 usually does, die of the rupture of the bladder, in conse- 

 quence of the kidneys continuing to secrete urine, but the 

 spasm offering an obstacle to its emission. Attempt there- 

 fore to accomplish the ejection, by introducing the hand up 

 the rectum, and gently pressing the fundus of the bladder for- 

 wards, which may force open the neck. If this fail, the 

 urethra must be opened by a catheter. In a mare, the 

 catheter may be easily passed up, and the water drawn off; 

 but, in the horse, to effect this, a flexible catheter must be 

 introduced, and gently guided forward. When a horse is 

 aftected with spasm the penis is generally much retracted ; 

 but with a little patience, aided by a handkerchief wrapped 

 round the hand, inserted up the sheath, this may be over- 



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