274 Veterinary Medicine. 



are essentially those of the acute, but acting with lessened force 

 or on a less susceptible system. Thus indoor life and overfeeding, 

 with constipation and urine of a high density, calculus, irritant 

 diuretics, the frequent incautious use of the catheter, infection 

 from the catheter or otherwise, intense and frequent generative 

 excitement, and exposure to cold are all occasional factors. Old 

 age is a common concurrent cause. 



Lesions. As in the acute form these indicate three successive, 

 independent or concurrent forms, follicular, interstitial and sup- 

 purative. 



With the distinctly follicular form the gland is usually en- 

 larged and of a deep red color, but soft and friable, and when 

 compressed exudes from its follicles and gland ducts a whitish 

 muco-purulent glairy liquid. With the interstitial changes, 

 which are often an advance on the follicular, the organ may be 

 enlarged or shrunken, but the connective tissue has undergone a 

 thickening and sclerosis which renders the mass firm and re- 

 sistant, and which may have extended to the tissues in the im- 

 mediate vicinity. In the suppurative form or stage, foci of 

 suppuration are found throughout the gland substance, bulging 

 out on its surface and even encroaching on surrounding tissues. 



Symptoms. These are by no means obtrusive. There may be 

 some delay in the discharge when the animal attempts to urinate, 

 and the last drops of the urine, white and purulent or glairy, may 

 be passed with evident pain. There is a tendency to constipa- 

 tion with painful straining to defecate. Compression of the 

 prostate during defecation presses out its qiuco-purulent contents 

 so that there is a greater urethral discharge following this act 

 than at other times. This is also more abundant from the com- 

 pression of the abdomen when the animal is lying down. This 

 discharge is easily distinguished from semen by the absence or 

 almost complete absence of spermatozoa and the abundance of 

 spermatic crystals, precipitated by ammonia phosphate. In the 

 earlier stages there may be undue generative excitement, erec- 

 tions, and even seminal discharge, with or without the move- 

 ments of masturbation but in advanced cases genital ardor is 

 usually defective or there may be practical impotence. Con- 

 clusive evidence is obtained by rectal exploration, when the en- 

 larged, or irregularly shaped and tender prostate can be easily 



