514 DISEASES OF THE BLADDEft. 



rapidly becoming blackish. It is of ammoniacal or fcetid odour, and 

 decomposes quicklj'. 



The period of development may be prolonged, and recovery rarely 

 occurs spontaneously. The condition often leads to ascending infection, 

 inflammation of the ureters, pyelitis, and nephritis. 



On post-mortem examination of animals slaughtered before com- 

 plete wasting has occurred the vesical mucous membrane is found to 

 be thickened, granulating, or suppurating. The muscular tissue shows 

 infiltration and localised sclerosis, and is very irregularly thickened, 

 inelastic, and wanting in contractile power. The peri-vesical tissues 

 may be chronically inflamed. 



Diagnosis. The diagnosis is easy, provided the peculiar charac- 

 teristics of the urine are noted, and an examination is made through 

 the vagina of the condition of the walls of the bladder, of the ureters 

 and of the kidneys. 



Prognosis. The prognosis is grave, because treatment would occupy 

 too much of the practitioner's time to allow it to be rigorously carried 

 out, and therefore animals are usually slaughtered. 



Treatment. Treatment comprises the use of many of the drugs 

 used in acute cystitis, particularly benzoate of soda, benzoic acid, and 

 bicarbonate of soda. The medicines comprised in the balsamic group 

 are also valuable, viz., turpentine, tar, and terpin. 



In this chronic form the bladder should be irrigated, but this must 

 be done with strict aseptic precautions, the fluids used being cooled 

 boiled water, boric acid or borax solution of 3 per cent, strength, or 

 solution of fluoride of soda of a strength of 15 grains to the quart. 



We need not point out the difficulties of pursuing this treatment in 

 ordinary practice. As a rule, treatment is confined to internal medi- 

 cation whilst the animals are fattened. 



URINARY LITHIASIS. CALCULUS FORMATION. 



Normally the urine contains in solution certain salts, such as urates, 

 hippurates and phosphates of lime, magnesia or ammonia. Under cer- 

 tain circumstances, in animals predisposed to the condition, these salts 

 are precipitated in the kidneys, ureters or bladder, and form powdery 

 or sandy deposits known as sediments ; or, on the other hand, calculi, 

 produced by the adhesion of the powdery masses. This constitutes 

 urinary lithiasis. 



The sediments are of a greyish-yellow colour. 



The calculi are generally rose-colo"ured, white or somewhat grey. 

 They contain oxalates and carbonates of lime and magnesia, earthy 

 phosphates, etc. In appearance and shape they vary greatly. They 



