DISEASES OF THE UEINABY ORGANS. 159 



capsule containing an urinous fluid. If both the ureters are similarly 

 blocked, the animal will die of uremic poisoning. 



Treatment of renal aTid ureteric calculi. — Treatment is unsatisfac- 

 tory, as it is only the small calculi that can pass through the ureters 

 and escape into the bladder. This may be favored by agents which 

 will relax the walls of the ureters by counteracting their spasm and 

 even lessening their tone, and by a liberal use of water and watery 

 fluids to increase the urine and the pressure upon the calculus from 

 behind. One or two ounces of laudanum, or 2 drams of extract of 

 belladonna, 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 

 only by soothing and relieving the spasm and inflammation, but they 

 also favor the freer secretion of a more watery urine, and thus tend to 

 carry off the smaller calculi. To accomplish this object further give 

 cool water freely, and let the feed be only such as contains a large pro- 

 portion 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 promising resort is a long run 

 at pasture where the grasses are fresh and succulent. The long- 

 continued secretion of a watery urine will sometimes cause the break- 

 iag down of a calculus, as the imbibition of the less dense fluid by the 

 organic, spongelike framework of the calculus causes it to sWell and 

 thus lessens its cohesion. The same end is sought by the long-con- 

 tinued use of alkalies (carbonate of potassium), and of acids 

 (muriatic), each acting iji a different way to alter the density and 

 cohesion of the stone. It is only exceptionally, however, that any one 

 of these methods is entirely satisfactory. If inflammation of the 

 kidneys develops, treat as advised under that head. 



Stone in the bladder (vesical calculus, or cystic calculus). — ^These 

 may be of any size up to over a pound in 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, white and formed of thin, con- 

 centric layers of great hardness extending from the nucleus out- 

 ward. Besides the phosphate of lime they 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, ajid stony mass. 



