THE HORSE IN SICKNESS AND DISEASE 361 



at the flanks ; urine made frequently and in small quantities, 

 with much effort or groaning ; often red or bloody, and as 

 the inflammation increases, almost wholly suppressed ; still 

 attempts are made by the bladder to evacuate, and the 

 mucous secretion from the organ and urethra only are 

 pressed out with much pain. Pulse at first rather hard, 

 frequent, and somewhat full ; but, as the disease advances, 

 it becomes smaller, oppressed, and intensely quick. The 

 animal stands with his legs wide apart, as though going 

 to stale, and shrinks when the loins are pressed. If it be 

 an entire horse, the spermatic glands are alternately drawn 

 close to the belly, and pendulous or relaxed. To distinguish 

 it from inflammation of the body of the bladder, or from 

 spasm of the neck of that organ, the horse should be 

 examined by passing the hand up the rectum ; when, if the 

 inflammation exists in the kidneys, the bladder, whether it 

 contain anything or not, will not be hotter than the sur- 

 rounding parts, or more tender ; but should the affection be 

 confined to the body of the bladder, it will be surely found 

 empty, but very hot and painful to the touch ; if, again, 

 spasm of the neck of the bladder, as sometimes happens, 

 should be the seat of the disease, no heat or tenderness v/ill be 

 felt, but the bladder will be found distended with urine. 

 The horse shows much disinclination to move, straddles 

 wide behind, and his back is " reached." 



Treatment. — This must be directed to the equalisation of 

 the arterial action. Back-rake, and examine carefully by 

 inserting the hand up the rectum, and feeling for heat and 

 tumefaction of the diseased organ. Throw up frequent 

 clysters consisting of cold water, in every gallon of which 

 one ounce of sulphuric ether and one ounce of crude opium 

 are dissolved, both with a view to promote a soluble state 

 of bowels, and to act as a fomentation to the inflamed 

 organs ; and if any costiveness be present, give a purgative 

 without any diuretic substance intermixed. It should, 

 because aloes contain resin, consist of linseed oil, a pint and 

 a half, in which a drachm of chloroform is mingled ; and 

 one half of this may be repeated in six hours if the animal 

 display no improvement. It will be prudent also to 

 endeavour at exciting an external inflammation on the 

 loins. The administration of cantharides is here question- 

 able from a disposition in them to stimulate the kidneys. 

 Turpentine, for the same reason, should not be applied ; but 



