118 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



which it describes in the interval between the thighs and just above 

 the scrotum. This bend is due to the fact that the retractor muscles 

 are attached to the penis at this point, and in withdrawing that organ 

 within its sheath they double it upon itself. The small size of the 

 canal and this S-shaped bend are serious obstacles to the passing of a 

 catheter to draw off the urine, yet by extending the penis out of its 

 sheath the bend is effaced, and a small gum-elastic catheter, not over 

 one-fourth of an inch in diameter, may with care be passed into the 

 bladder. In the cow the urethra is very short, opening in the median 

 line on the floor of the vulva about 4 inches in front of its external 

 orifice. Even in the cow, however, the passing of a catheter is a 

 matter of no little difficulty, the opening of the urethra being very 

 narrow and encircled by the projecting membranous and rigid mar- 

 gins, and on each side of the opening is a blind pouch (canal of 

 Gartner) into which the catheter will almost invariably find its way. 

 In both male and female, therefore, the passage of a catheter is an 

 operation which demands special skill. 



General syinptoms of urinainj disorders. — These are not so promi- 

 nent in cattle as in horses, yet when pr&sent they are of a similar 

 kind. Tliere is a stiff or straddling gait with the hind limbs and some 

 difficulty in turning or in lying down and rising, the act drawing 

 forth a groan. The frequent passage of urine in driblets, the con- 

 tinuous escap>e 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 urinaiy organs. 

 The condition of the urine passed may likewise lead to suspicion. It 

 may be white, from crj^stallized carbonate of lime; brown, red, or 

 even black, from the presence of blood or blood-coloring matter; 

 yellow, from biliary coloring matter; it may be frothy, from con- 

 tained albumin; cloudy, from phosphates; glairy, from pus; or it 

 may' show gintty masses, from gravel. In many cases of urinary dis- 

 order 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 

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



