STONE IN THE BLADDER. 315 



INFLAMMATION OF THE BLADDER. 



There are two varieties of this disease, inflammation of the body of the blad- 

 der, and of its neck. The symptoms are nearly the same with those of inflam- 

 mation of the kidney, except that there is rarely a total suppression of urine 

 and there is heat felt in the rectum over the situation of the bladder. The 

 causes are the presence of some acrid or irritant matter in the urine, or of cal- 

 culus or stone in the bladder. With reference to inflammation of the body of 

 the bladder, mischief has occasionally been done by the introduction of cantha- 

 rides or some other irritating matter, in order to hasten the period of horsing 

 in the mare. The treatment in this case will be the same as in inflammation 

 of the kidneys, except that it is of more consequence that the animal should 

 drink freely of water or thin gruel. 



In inflammation of the neck of the bladder there is the same frequent voiding 

 of urine in small quautities, generally appearing in an advanced stage of the 

 disease, and often ending in almost total suppression. There is also this 

 circumstance, which can never be mistaken by him who will pay sufficient 

 attention to the case, that the bladder is distended with urine, and can be dis- 

 tinctly felt under the rectum. It is spasm of the part, closing the neck of the 

 bladder so powerfully that the contraction of the bladder and the pressure of the 

 muscles are unable to force out the urine. 



Here the object to be attempted is sufficiently plain. This spasm must be 

 relaxed, and the most likely means to effect it is to bleed largely, and even to 

 fainting. This will sometimes succeed, and there will be at once an end to the 

 disease. To the exhaustion and loss of muscular power occasioned by copious 

 bleeding, should be added the nausea consequent on physic. Should not 

 this speedily have effect, another mode of abating spasm must be tried — pow- 

 dered opium, made into a ball or drink, should be given every two or three 

 hours ; while an active blister is applied externally. The evacuation of the 

 bladder, both in the mare and the horse, should be effected through the medium 

 of a veterinary surgeon. 



STONE IN THE BLADDER. 



The urine is a very compound fluid. In a state of health it contains seve- 

 ral acids and alkalies variously combined, which, under disease, are increased 

 both in number and quantity. It is very easy to conceive that some of these may 

 be occasionally separated from the rest, and assume a solid form both in the 

 pelvis of the kidney and in the bladder. This is known to be the case both in 

 the human being and the brute. These calculi or stones are in the horse oftener 

 found in the kidney than in the bladder, contrary to the experience of the 

 human surgeon. The explanation of this however is not difficult. In the 

 human being thie kidney is situated above the bladder, and these concretions 

 descend from it to the bladder by their weight. The belly of the horse is ho- 

 rizontal, and the force of gravity can in no way affect the passage of the cal- 

 culus ; therefore it occasionally remains in the pelvis of the kidney, until it has 

 increased so much in size as to fill it. We know not of any symptoms that would 

 satisfactorily indicate the presence of a stone in the kidney ; and if the disease 

 could be ascertained, we are unable to say what remedial measures could be 

 adopted. 



The symptoms of stone in the bladder much resemble those of spasmodic 

 colic, except that, on careful inquiry, it will be found that there has been much 

 irregularity in the discharge of urine and occasional suppression of it. When 

 fits of apparent colic frequently return, and are accompanied by any peculiarity 



