DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 175 



cles which lengthen it (protractors) passing into it from the region of 

 the navel, and two that shorten it (retractors) passing into it from the 

 lower surface of the pelvic bones above. (Plate ix, Fig. 2.) The protract- 

 ors keep the sheath stretched so that it habitually covers the penis, 

 while the retractors shorten it up in the act of service, so that the penis 

 can project to its full extent. In stud bulls the frequent protrusion of 

 the erect and enlarged penis and the retraction and dilatation of the 

 opening of the sheath serve to empty the pouch and prevent any accumu- 

 lation of sebaceous matter or urine,. In the ox, on the other hand, the 

 undeveloped and inactive penis is usually drawn back so as to leave 

 the anterior preputial pouch empty, so that the sebaceous matter has 

 spare to accumulate and is never expelled by the active retraction of 

 the sheath and protrusion of the erect penis in service. Again, the ox 

 rarely protrudes the tip of the penis in urination, the urine is discharged 

 into the preputial pouch and lodges and decomposes there so that there 

 is a great liability to the precipitation of ite earthy salts in the form of 

 gravel. The decomposing aminoniacal urine, the gritty crystals pre- 

 cipitated from it, and the fetid, rancid, sebaceous matter set up inflam- 

 mation in the delicate mucous membrane lining the passage. The mem- 

 brane is thickened, reddened, rendered friable and ultimately ulcerated, 

 and the now narrowed sheath is blocked by the increasing mass of 

 sebaceous and urinons material and the decomposing mucus and pus. 

 The penis can no longer be protruded, the urine escapes in a small 

 stream tb rough the narrowing sheath, and finally the outlet is com- 

 pletely blocked and the urine distends the back part of the sheath. 

 This will fluctuate on being handled, and soon the unhealthy inflam- 

 mation extends on each side of it, causing a thick, doughy, tender 

 swelling under the belly and between the thighs. The next step in the 

 morbid course is over-distension of the bladder, with the occurrence of 

 colicky pains, looking at the flanks, uneasy movements of the hind limbs, 

 raising or twisting of the tail, pulsatory contractions of the urethra 

 under the anus, and finally a false appearance of relief, which is caused 

 by rupture of the bladder. Before this rupture takes place the dis- 

 tended bladder may press on the rectum and obstruct the passage of 

 the bowel dejections. Two mistakes are therefore probable: first, that 

 the bowels alone are to be relieved, and, second, that the trouble 

 is obstruction of the urethra by a stone, Hence the need of examining 

 the sheath and pushing the finger into its opening to see that there is 

 no obstruction there, in all cases of retention of urine, over-distended 

 bladder, or blocked rectum in the ox. The disease may be acute or 

 chronic, the first by reason of acute adhesive inflammation blocking 

 the outlet, the second by gradual thickening and ulceration of the 

 sheath and blocking by the sebaceous and calculous accretions. 



The treatment of this affection will depend on the stage. If recent 

 and no instant danger of rupture of the bladder, the narrow opening of 

 the sheath should be freely cut open in the median line below, and the 



