94 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



served in the first few days after parturition or one suffering from 

 leucorrhea ; by infecting matter introduced on a dirty catheter, or by 

 the extension of inflammation from an irritated bilocular cavity filled 

 with hardened sebaceous matter, or from an uncleansed sheath. 



Symptoms. The symptoms are swelling, heat, and tenderness of 

 the sheath and penis; difficulty, pain, and groaning in passing urine, 

 which is liable to sudden temporary arrests in the course of micturi- 

 tion, and later a whitish mucopurulent oozing from the papilla on the 

 end of the penis. There is a tendency to erection of the penis, and in 

 cases contracted from a mare the outer surface of that organ will 

 show more or less extensive sores and ulcers. Stallions suffering in 

 this way will refuse to mount, or having mounted will fail to com- 

 plete the act of coition. If an entrance is effected infection of the 

 mare is liable to follow. 



Treatment in the early stages consists in a dose of physic (aloes 6 

 drams) and fomentations of warm water to the sheath and penis. If 

 there is reason to suspect the presence of infection, inject the urethra 

 twice daily with borax 1 dram, water 1 quart, using it tepid. Where 

 the mucopurulent discharge indicates the supervention of the second 

 stage, a more astringent injection may be employed (nitrate of silver 

 20 grains, water 1 quart), and the same may be applied to the surface 

 of the penis and inside the sheath. Balsam of copaiba (1 dram daily) 

 may also be given with advantage after the purulent discharge has 

 appeared. 



Every stallion suffering from urethritis should be withheld from 

 service, as should mares with leucorrhea. 



STRICTURE OF THE URETHRA. 



This is n permanent narrowing of the urethra at a given point, the 

 result of previous inflammation, caused by the passage or arrest of a 

 stone, or gravel, by strong astringent injections in the early nonsecret- 

 ing stages of urethritis, or by contraction of the lining membrane 

 occurring during the healing of ulcers in neglected inflammations of 

 that canal. The trouble is shown by the passage of urine in a fine 

 stream, with straining, pain, and groaning, and by frequent painful 

 erections. It must be remedied by mechanical dilatation, with cathe- 

 ters just large enough to pass with gentle force, to be inserted once a 

 day, and to be used of larger size as the passage will admit them. 

 The catheter should be kept perfectly clean, and washed in a borax 

 solution and well oiled before it is introduced. 



URINAKY CALCULI ( STONE, OR GRAVEL). 



These consist in some of the solids of the urine that have been pre- 

 cipitated from the urine in the form of crystals, which remain apart 

 as a fine powdery mass, or magma, or aggregate into calculi, or stones, 

 of varying size. Their composition is therefore determined in differ- 



