SURGICAL DISEASES 421 



Surgery of the Genito- Urinary Organs. When the kidney 

 is damaged by trauma veterinary surgeons consider it more 

 economical to order the wounded animal to be slaughtered, 

 whereas in man the surgeon would cut down upon and treat the 

 wounded kidney. Quite recently, Lorge, Rubay and other veter- 

 inary surgeons have attempted for the first time to open the kidney 

 from behind for stone, and to close it again after removing the 

 concretion. On the other hand, puncture of the bladder for 

 absolute retention of urine has long been practised. In dogs 

 and swine it is performed suprapubically ; in larger animals 

 through the rectum or perineum. In carnivorous animals and 

 swine stones occur composed of urates, oxalate and cystin ; in 

 herbivora they are mainly calcium phosphate and triple phos- 

 phate ; in sheep they consist of a compound of calcium and 

 magnesium phosphate and silicate. Operations are seldom 

 performed for stone in the bladder in domestic animals, even 

 in the case of dogs which suffer frequently from this condition ; 

 urethrotomy, however, is done if a stone becomes impacted in 

 the urethra. 



Stricture of the urethra is most commonly seen in horses, 

 hypospadias and epispadias in sheep and dogs, and but rarely in 

 other animals. Veterinary surgeons have frequently to treat 

 prolapse and retroversion of the bladder after difficult labour, a 

 phenomenon which occurs in bitches, mares and sows, but never 

 in women. On the other hand, women suffer from prolapse of 

 the uterus and vagina quite as frequently as cows, mares and 

 sows. 



Phimosis and paraphimosis are not peculiar to man, but are 

 frequent in certain domestic animals ; phimosis is commonest in 

 dogs, and paraphimosis, a still more frequent occurrence, owing 

 to the shape of the penis ; it is less frequent in bulls and swine. 



As to hypertrophy of the prostate, which torments so many 

 elderly men, we may console ourselves with the thought that 

 certain animals, such as the dog, and less frequently the horse, 

 are similarly afflicted in their old age. Sarcocele, hydrocele, 

 hasmatocele and varicocele also come under the notice of 

 veterinary surgeons in stallions, bulls and rams. 



Inflammation of the testis is much more frequent than in- 

 flammation of the epididymis in stallions and bulls. Both pro- 



