AND LECTURES. 83 
to a large proportion of vegetable acids in the food, these 
acids being transformed and uniting with the lime and 
magnesia of the blood, thus forming carbonates of either of 
_ these elements which are within themselves the calculi. 
Cause—The transforming of vegetable acids into carbonic 
| acid, which in turn unites with the time or magnesia of 
the blood of the system forming solid carbonates. By some 
it is thought that the drinking of hard water is a cause for 
calculi, and the reasons they advance for such opinions are 
gooi, but we will not attempt to discuss them. 
HOW TO KNOW IT. 
Calculi in the kidneys and ureters produce colicky pains, 
a straddling gait, tenderness over the loins and sometimes 
| blood inthe urine By introducing the hand into the rec- 
| tum we may sometimes feel the calculus in the ureters. 
| Calculi in the bladder often get into the urethra or outer 
| passage and obstruct the flow of urine, in which case they 
| give rise to frequent straining efforis upon the part of the 
horse in his attempts at empytying the bladder Under 
these conditions the urine passed comes in small jets with 
a sudden arrest of the flow. If the stone does not make its 
"way into the urethra the flow of urine is not checked, but 
blood in clots may be passed; which is a strong indication 
- that the mucous membrane or lining of the bladder has 
_ been wounded by the stone. The prese:ce of a stone in 
"the bladder of the male can be determined by means of an 
bo examination through the rectum. In the female it can be 
: reached easily with the finger through the short urethra. 
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