4G6 
INCONTINENTIA UltlN^E. 
become evident, and wounds, sores, and ulcers are formed, which 
occasionally extend even as far forwards as the prepuce, and the 
bulb swells and becomes painful. In proportion to the extent of 
the inflammation is the difficulty with which the animals move. 
As soon as the inflammation extends to the urethra, or, in other 
Avords, becomes chronic, a slime issues and becomes mingled with the 
urine. This state of things is easily ascertained, for then, Avhen 
the urine is dribbling slowly out, each drop falls lingering on and 
long draAvn, and is of a whitish hue. 
In higher degrees of inflammation the pain is very acute, and blood 
often mingles with the urine, Avhich now assumes a reddish tinge. 
When the discharge is fluid, we may conclude that the seat of dis- 
ease is in the urethra ; for if it were higher up, that is to say, in 
some of the urinary apparatuses, it would be coagulated. 
We have already stated that this disease is occasioned by some 
injury of the contractor muscles of the bladder. How this injury 
is effected remains to be determined. 
The urine collected in the bladder can only be expelled by a re- 
laxation of the contractor muscles, which cannot exactly be said to 
come under the head of voluntary muscles of the body. The 
will of the animal and the mechanical pressure of the urine, 
strengthened by the action of the muscles of the belly and the mus- 
cular fibres of the urinary bladder, by operating together usually 
create this effect ; but it often happens, that when the will is want- 
ing, the other influences acting together suffice to induce a void- 
ing of the urine. In this latter case the muscles are over-stimulated, 
and their re-action only occurs after a relaxation of greater or less 
duration, and in proportion to this is the injury. The urine col- 
lected in the bladder, and, finding itself unimpeded by any thing, 
flows out in a continuous stream. 
In most cases the sphincter muscles are overpowered. Were 
it not so, when the will acted in opposition to the other influences, 
we should see more frequent cases of bursting of the bladder, an 
event rarely met with. As it is, the other influences operate on these 
muscles, weaken them, and, finally, completely relax them. 
The following are the causes likely to induce this state : 
Long suppression of the urine when the animal is not actually 
allowed time for the performance of this necessary act, viz. passing 
the urine, as is frequently the case with hardly worked animals, 
where it is often remarked that a horse gradually learns to post- 
pone this act until he actually does it as he goes along. Some 
horses which have never been accustomed to stale except on straw 
or litter, will retain their water for a long time, and may be observed 
stamping and shifting uneasily to and fro while the urine trickles 
from them drop by drop. 
