85 



One or two ounces of laudanum, or two drams of extract of bella- 

 donna, may be given and repeated as it may be necessary, the relief 

 of the pain being a fair criterion of the abating of the spasm. To 

 the same end use warm fomentations across the loins, and these 

 should be kept up persistently until relief is obtained. These act not 

 alone by soothing and relieving the spasm and inflammation, but 

 they also favor the freer secretion of a more Avatery urine, and thus 

 tend to cany off the smaller calculi. To further secure this object 

 give cool water freelj', and let the food be only such as contains a 

 large proportion of liquid, gruels, mashes, turnips, beets, apples, 

 pumpkins, ensilage, succulent grasses, etc. If the acute stage has 

 passed and the presence of the calculus is manifested only by the 

 frequent passage of urine with gritty particles, by stiffness of. the 

 loins and hind limbs and by tenderness to pressure, the most prom- 

 ising resort is a long run at pasture where the grasses are fresh and 

 succulent. The long-continued secretion of a watery urine will some- 

 times cause the breaking down of a calculus, as the imbibition of the 

 less dense fluid by the organic sponge-like framework of the calculus 

 causes it to swell and thus lessens its cohesion. The same end is 

 sought by the long-continued use of alkalies (carbonate of i^otas- 

 sium), and of acids (muriatic), each acting in a different way to alter 

 the density and cohesion of the stone. But it is only exceptionallj^ 

 that any of these methods is entirely satisfactoiy. If inflammation 

 of the kidneys develops, treat as advised under that head. 



Stone in the bladder. — Vesical calculus. — Cystic ccdculus. — These 

 may be of any size up to over a pound weight. One variety is rough 

 and crystalline and has a yellowish white or deep brown color. These 

 contain about 87 per cent carbonate of lime, the remainder being 

 carbonate of magnesia, oxalate of lime, and organic matter. The 

 phosphatic calculi are smooth and white and formed of thin concen- 

 tric layers of great hardness extending from the nucleus outward. 

 Besides the phosphate of lime these contain the carbonates of lime and 

 magnesia and organic matter. In some cases the bladder contains 

 and may be even distended by a soft pultaceous mass made up of 

 minute round granules of carbonates of lime and magnesia. This, 

 when removed and dried, makes a firm, white, and stony mass. 

 Sometimes this magma is condensed into a solid mass in the bladder 

 by reason of the binding action of the mucus and other organic mat- 

 ter, and then forms a conglomerate stone of nearly uniform consist- 

 ency and without stratification. 



The symptoms of stone in the bladder are more obvious than those 

 of renal calculus. The rough mulberry calculi especially lead to irri- 

 tation of the mucous membrane and frequent passing of urine in 

 small quantities and often mingled with mucus or blood, or contain- 

 ing minute gritty particles. At times the flow is suddenly arrested, 

 though the animal continues to strain and the bladder is not quite 



