CALCULUS IN THE URETHRA. 3*J5 0 
so treated thrive very much better afterwards, and that they 
give the greatest satisfaction to their purchasers, inasmuch as 
they continue to improve without experiencing drawbacks from 
attacks of those excessively annoying and protracted diseases to 
which young horses are so subject. 
Nottingham, June 6, 1851. 
CALCULUS IN THE URETHRA. 
By R. Nicholson, M.R.C.V.S., Woinersley, near Pontefract, 
Yorkshire. 
To the Editor of u The Veterinarian .” 
Sir, — PERHAPS the following account of a case of calculus in 
the urethra of a gelding, five years old, will not be thought 
unworthy of a place in your valuable Periodical, for the benefit 
of the junior practitioner, since the occurrence of such cases is 
exceeding rare. The circumstances of the stone descending so 
low down the urethra, together with the symptoms manifest, 
might lead the younger members of our profession materially 
wrong in their diagnosis; on this account I am led to report it. 
The animal is five years of age, of cart-horse breed, the pro- 
perty of Mr. Reiley Stubbs, Walden, in this neighbourhood, 
and was brought to my establishment on the 13th of April last. 
The symptoms present were, colicky pains, together with others 
denoting disease of the urinary organs, on which my attention to 
the bladder was immediately directed as being the probable seat of 
the malady. On examining, per rectum , nothing could be disco- 
vered, save distention of the bladder. No calculus could be 
detected. The distention of the bladder led me to suspect that 
there might be some obstruction of the urethra. This consider- 
ation induced me immediately to proceed to examine the urethral 
passage throughout its course ; when, to my astonishment and 
entire satisfaction, I found a phosphatic calculus, about six inches 
from its inferior extremity. I was able, by a little manipulation, 
to cause it to descend somewhat lower; though, after it had de- 
scended an inch or so, I was unable to get it any further in 
consequence of its changing its position in the urethra, as well 
as of the excruciating pain it gave the poor suffering beast : I 
therefore abandoned this mode of procedure, and made an inci- 
sion at the extremity of the urethra, about an inch in length, by 
which means I was enabled to reach it with a pair of forceps. 
