DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 159 
capsule containing an urinous fluid. If both the ureters are similarly 
blocked, the animal will die of uremic poisoning. 
Treatment of renal and 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- 
ing 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 in 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, and stony mass. 
