PHYMOSIS 119 



the pains increase in severity, the respirations are hur- 

 ried and shallow, the temperature rises several degrees 

 and the animal refuses its feed. A bull suffering from 

 a well developed phymosis is a sorry brute to look 

 upon. 



The treatment of phymosis is quite satisfacory and a 

 favorable termination is the rule. 



While it may considerably facilitate the handling 

 of the parts we do not advise that the animal be cast. 

 It is not possible to determine the extent of the dis- 

 tention of the urinary bladder and there may be danger 

 of rupturing the bladder by casting the animal. At 

 least, the first treatment should be given in the stand- 

 ing position. When the condition has been sufficiently 

 relieved to permit of micturition the animal can be 

 cast for subsequent handling if conditions exist which 

 require it. Usually, however, it is unnecessary to cast 

 the patient if the manipulations called for are per- 

 formed in a gentle and painstaking manner. 



The treatment begins with cutting away the hair 

 in the region of the preputial orifice, for which pur- 

 pose an ordinary curved scissors answers very well. 

 All filth and adhering discharges are then to be thor- 

 oughly removed by means of warm antiseptic washes. 

 The latter must not be too active; the parts are nor- 

 mally very sensitive and this state of sensitiveness is 

 all the more marked under the influence of the patho- 

 logical condition. If mercury bichlorid is used, a 1 to 

 4000 solution is ample. When the mouth of the orifice 

 and its immediate surroundings have been thus 

 cleansed the interior of the sheath must be copiously 

 irrigated with warm antiseptic solutions. In our hands 

 we have had fine results from solutions of potassium 

 permanganate here. Half a dram of the crystals dis- 

 solved in a quart of warm water makes about the prop- 



