142 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



pouch (canal of Gartner) into which the catheter -will almost invari- 

 ably find its way. In both male and female, therefore, the passage of 

 a catheter is an operation which demands special skill. 



General symptoms of urinary disorders. These are not so prominent 

 in cattle as in horses, yet when present they are of a similar kind. 

 There is a stiff or straddling gait with the hind limbs and some diffi- 

 culty in turning, or in lying down and rising the act drawing forth a 

 groan. The frequent passage of urine in dribblets, the continuous 

 escape of the urine in drops, the sudden arrest of the flow when in 

 full stream, the rhythmic contraction of the muscles under the anus 

 without any flow resulting, the swelling of the sheath, the collection of 

 hard gritty masses on the hair surrounding the orifice of the sheath, 

 the occurrence of dropsies in the limbs, under the chest or belly, or in 

 either of these cavities, and finally the appearance of nervous stupor, 

 may indicate serious disorder of the urinary organs. The condition of 

 the urine passed may likewise lead to suspicion. It may be white, from, 

 crystallized carbonate of lime; brown, red, or even black, from the 

 presence of blood or blood-coloring matter; yellow, from biliary color- 

 ing matter; it may be frothy, from contained albumen; cloudy, from 

 phosphates ; glairy, from pus ; or it may show gritty masses, from 

 gravel. In many cases of urinary disorder in the ox, however, the 

 symptoms are by no means prominent, and unless special examination 

 is made of the loins, the bladder, and the urine, the true nature of the 

 malady may be overlooked. 



DIURESIS POLYURIA DIABETES INSIPIDUS EXCESSIVE SECRETION 



OF URINE. 



A secretion of urine in excess of the normal amount may be looked 

 on as disease, even if the result does not lead to immediate loss of con- 

 dition. Cattle fed on distillery swill are striking examples of such 

 excess caused by the enormous consumption of a liquid food, which 

 nourishes and fattens in spite of the diuresis. But the condition is un- 

 wholesome, and cattle that have passed four or five months in a swill 

 stable have fatty livers and kidneys, and never again do well on ordi- 

 nary food. Diuresis may further occur from increase of blood pressure 

 in the kidneys (diseases of the heart or lungs which hinder the onward 

 passage of the blood, the eating of digitalis, English broom, the con- 

 traction of the blood vessels on the surface of the body in cold weather, 

 etc.); also from acrid or diuretic plants taken with the food (dandelion, 

 burdock, colchicum, digitalis, savin, resinous shoots, etc.) ; from excess 

 of sugar in the food (beets, turnips, ripe sorghum) ; also from the use of 

 frozen food (frosted turnip- tops and other vegetables); and from the 

 growths of certain molds in fodder (musty hay, mow-burnt hay, moldy 

 oats, moldy bread, etc.). Finally, alkaline waters and alkaline incrusta- 

 tions on the soil may be active causes. In some of these cases the 

 result is beneficial rather than injurious, as when cattle affected with 



