K 1 D 



property in the neck of the bladder, retaining tlie urine, in 

 ordinary circumftances, until the fenfe of inconvenience in- 

 duces us to make the reqiiifite voluntary exertion for its 

 evacuation, and, in paralyfis of the mufcular coat, and other 

 ftates of difeafe, holding it until the bladder, enormoudy 

 diftcnded, fphacelates and burfts. The advantages of this 

 arrangement, in enabhng us to retain the urinary fecretion, 

 until it has accumulated in confideieble quantity, and in fe- 

 curing us from the fetor, excoriation, and other annoyances, 

 which a conllant involuntary flow of urine produces, are too 

 obvious to need a more particular detail. 



Does the retention of the urine in the bladder produce 

 any alteration in it's qualifies ? Phyfiologifts generally be- 

 lieve that the water is partly ahfoibed. The urine voided 

 at different times poffeffes, as we have already remarked, very 

 different properties : if, after emptying the bladder, we make 

 water again in a fhort time, it is almoft colourleis and in- 

 odorous ; allow a long time to elaple, and it will be high 

 coloured, acrid, and have a itrong imell. The latter pro- 

 perties particularly characterize what is voided after a night's 

 lleep. Thefe circumllances are moll eafily explained by the 

 agency of the lymphatics. The admixture of fecretions 

 from the furface of the bladder is another important fource 

 of modifications in the urine, particularly when the organ 

 is irritated or difeafed. 



• The increafe in the quantity of urine accumulated in the 

 bladder produces an unpleafant feeling, which foon amounts 

 to pain, and ends, if the caufe continues, in the moft excru- 

 ciating agonies. Many circumllances influence the length 

 of time, during which the urine is retained, and the quan- 

 tity that may be accumulated before the defire to expel it is 

 felt. The qualities of the fluid, as being more or lefs irri- 

 tating, and the quantity fecreted in a given time, produce 

 confiderable differences : a much larger quantity can be re- 

 tained, when introduced gradually, than when fecreted very 

 fall. Habit has confiderable influence ; and hence women, 

 from the ufages of fociety, can generally i'upport a greater 

 diilention than men. The bladder itfelf, without any dif- 

 eafe, varies in its retentive power in the fame individual, 

 according to his Hate of health : the effecl of age is alio 

 very perceptible : the irritable bladder of the child empties 

 itfelf very frequently ; in advanced age the contrary is ob- 

 ferved. But the effedts of difeafe are more obvious and im- 

 portant ; in paralyfis, diilention produces no feeling, and the 

 natural ftimulus to evacuation does not take place. When 

 the organ is affefted by any irritating caufe, as the prelence 

 ef a llone, it will hardly bear a few drops of fluid. 



The evacuation of the bladder is the joint efted of two 

 powers ; viz. the aftion of the refpiratory mufcles, and that 

 of the mufcular coat of the organ. By the firll we over- 

 come the refinance of the neck of the bladder; and the 

 operation is finifhed by the fecond. We begixi, as in all 

 fimilar eff'orts, by a deep infpiration ; then, retaining this 

 air in the cheft, we exert alfo the abdominal mulclcs. The 

 perpendicular pofition of the body fnbjefts the bladder, in 

 the mod favourable way, to the downward pielfure of the 

 diaphragm : the bufinefs is accomplilhed more difficultly 

 in the recumbent podure. The effort is always greater in 

 proportion to the diftention of the bladder : wlien the quan- 

 tity of urine is fmall, the exertion may be flight ; but infpi- 

 ration in all cafes precedes mifturition. A few drops, or a 

 very flender tlream, come through the urethra firll, proving 

 that the orifice of the bladder is very completely clofed in 

 the healthy flate. It then comes in a larger and larger cm-- 

 rrnt, and with increafing force ; being propelled further in 

 yorung than in old fubjeft^. When it flows in a full 

 ftrtam, we remit the effort with which the operation began, 

 3 



K I D 



and continue refpiration in the ordinary manner : the process 

 is completed by the powers of the bladder, which force out 

 its contents in a continuous llream. We may ftiil increafe 

 the impetus by renewing the effort ; or we may projeft a 

 portion of the fluid more forcibly by the affiflance of the 

 accelerator urinx mufcle. Perhaps the contraftion of the 

 bladder is the moll important circumflance in the operation ; 

 for, when that is paralyfed, we put the refpiratory powers 

 in aftion without effeft. Diilention of the organ very much 

 weakens its expuliive power ; fo that, when we have re- 

 tained the urine beyond the proper time, we exert the abdo- 

 minal mufcles and diaphragm very violently for a confider- 

 able time without effecl. 



Towards tlie end of mifturition, the urine again flows 

 guttatim, as at the beginning; and the lall portions are 

 thrown into the urethra with fo feeble an effort, that they 

 muil be expelled from that tube by the accelerator urinx. 



Kidneys, Infammcition of. See Nepiikitls. 



Kidneys, Calculus in. See Nephuatcia. 



Kidneys of Birds and Vijhes. See Anatomy of Birds, 

 and Fisii. 



KiDXEV-ifa«, in Gardening, a common name which is 

 often applied to a particular fort of bean. See Phaseolus. 



KiDXEY'-A.''(in Tree, the common name of a particular kind 

 of tree. See Glycine. 



KiDN'EY-iJrfri, the common name of a peculiar fort of 

 vetch. See Anthyi.lis. 



KIDONIA, or ClDON'lA, in Geography, a province of 

 Crete, or Candia, which has retained the name of the ancient 

 city of the Cretans, produces oil, grain, cotton, tiax, filk, 

 honey, wax, fome fruits, and a tolerably large quantity of 

 cheefe : its territory is in general extremely fertile. The 

 nearefl mountains which lie to the fouth, being more tempe- 

 rate and more cool than the territory of Canea, yield a great 

 many fruits ; bur little wine, much oil, and fome wheat and 

 barley are produced in this province. See Candia. 



KIDWELLY, or Cidwelly, a market town and parifh 

 of Caermarthenfhire, South Wales, is feated on the banks 

 of the river Gwandraeth, over which is a bridge, ccnnefting 

 two portions of the town called the new and old town. In 

 the year iSoo, the parifli contained 333 houfesand 1388 in- 

 habitants. Kidwelly has been for many ages a town of con- 

 fiderable traffic. " Its harbours were fo well frequented as 

 to render it the rival to Caermarthen ; tlie fifheries of this 

 port were confiderable ; its coal trade great, and it had be- 

 fides a flourifhing internal bufinefs in the clothing line. 

 But the conditon of the place has been for years on the de- 

 cline. By virtue of its charter, the affairs of the town are 

 regulated by a mayor, who is chofen annually. About the 

 middle of the fixtecnth century, Leland fpeaks of Caermar- 

 then having increafed in confcquence of the decay of Kid- 

 welly harbour, the entrance of which became fuddenly inter- 

 cepted by a dangerous fand-bank, driven up by the fea, that 

 prevented veflels of large burden from failing up the river 

 as before. It is worthy of remark, that this bar of fand, 

 after lying fo long in the fituation above-mentioned, as to al- 

 moll ruin the Kidwelly port, feparated, a few years back, 

 of its own accord, in the middle, and now affords afufliciont 

 depth of water for the veffcls commonly employed m the 

 trade of this part of the country to come up the river. The 

 old town, in the time of Leland, was nearly defolated, but 

 the walk furrounding it appears, from his words, to have 

 been entire, for he tells us, this part was " pretily waulid," 

 and that he faw " three gates ther." The old town is at pre- 

 fent inconfiderable." The catlle, at one extremity of it, 

 ilands proudly elevated on an artificial mount, on the fide of 

 the marlhts. U is allowed to be the moil pcrfeft building^ 



