204 THE NATURE AND TREATMENT OF 



lar fibres that involuntarily contract, so as to close the passage, 

 except in the act of urinating. Some anatomists consider this 

 muscle as a distinct one in the horse, and have given to it the 

 name of sphincter, but in oxen it does not seem to be a dis 

 tinct muscle, neither does it contract with that force or per 

 sistency which is known to occur in the case of a horse. 



THE URETHRA. 



The urethra arises from the neck of the bladder, extends 

 from it to the end of the penis ; it is much smaller in calibre 

 than in the horse ; it affords a passage for the urine and sem- 

 inal fluid. 



Interiorly it is composed of mucous membrane, which is a 

 prolongation of that found within the bladder. > 



HJEMATURIA. 



Hasmaturia signifies voiding of blood with the urine. In 

 cattle raising districts, this disease, or rather the symptoms of 

 one, is generally known by the term, "jred water," although a 

 very marked difference exists, between hasmaturia, and mere 

 discoloration, or reddened appearance of the urine ; for in the 

 former case, blood globules are invariably present and their 

 presence can be determined by procuring a sample of the urine ; 

 after letting it stand for a short time, the blood coagulse may be 

 detected by the naked eye, at the bottom of the vessel in which 

 the urine is caught. 



Causes of Hcematuria, — its character and symptoms. — The 

 voiding of blood with the urine is generally supposed to be 

 occasioned by some violence, such as local injury in the 

 lumbar region, calculi within the ureters or the bladder ; from 

 local hemorrhage, occasioned by congestion, or inflammation of 

 some portion of the urniary organs. Congestion is apt to 

 occur in over-fed animals, and perhaps is an effort of nature to 

 phlebotomize the subject and reduce the amount of circulating 

 fluid, and thus lessen the liability to accumulate adipose tissue. 



If such be the case (the patient being in a state of plethora), 

 no immediate danger is to be apprehended ; especially is this 



