441 



CHAPTER XXL 



Diseases of the Urinary Orga:ns. 



general remarks retention of urine bloody urine inflam- 

 mation of the bladder albuminous urine inflammation of 



the kidneys stone in the bladder. 



General Remarks. 



The exact nature of diseases of the urinary organs is often difficult 

 to determine ; for unusual conditions of the urine and symptoms of 

 disease of these organs may be present, without anything being 

 wrong with them, as we may see in hremoglobinuria, diabetes, 

 and constipation. To correctly investigate these diseases, one 

 should be able to analyse urine, to do which, a knowledge of chemis- 

 try and microscopy is necessary. I shall therefore only briefly 

 refer to these diseases, which, happily, are rare in the horse, 

 except in the case of retention of urine as an accompaniment of 

 colic. 



The kidneys (Fig. 141, p. 351), two in number, are the glands 

 which form urine from the blood. As the urine is secreted, it is 

 carried away from the kidneys into the bladder by the ureters, 

 which are na-rrow tubes, and is finally got rid of by means of the 

 urethra, which is a comparatively large tube that connects the 

 bladder with the penis of the horse and Avith the vagina of the 

 mare ; expulsion being effected by the contraction of the muscles 

 which surround the bladder. 



Retention of Urine 



is a symptom of disease rather than a disease in itself. It is 

 generally caused by spasm of the neck of the bladder ; by paralysis 

 of the bladder ; by the accumulation of hardened soapy matter in 

 the sheath, owing to neglect of cleanliness; by the horse having 

 been kept too long from staling; by impaction of the rectum 



