316 
PARTIAL OCCLUSION OF THE URETHRA IN 
AN OX. 
By the Same. 
I send for your inspection a diseased bladder and penis of 
an ox, which possess some points of interest. The history 
of the case is, however, rather brief. The animal was of the 
pure short- horn breed, about two years and a half old, and 
was originally intended for stock purposes ; but when about 
eighteen months of age, although seemingly in perfect health, 
he was noticed to have a great disinclination to perform his 
duties as a bull, and was consequently castrated. After 
this period, nothing particular was observed with reference 
to any defect in the urino-generative organs save a little diffi- 
culty in urinating, until about the 5th of the present month, 
April, when the penis was noticed to be protruding from the 
prepuce, and to be somewhat swollen. On the 14th, my at- 
tendance was required, as the animal was now very unwell. 
The leading symptoms were great abdominal pain, manifested 
chiefly by his attempting to strike the belly wdth the hind 
legs, turning the head to the side, and pointing the nose to the 
flank, with a great disinclination to stand ; the sufferings being 
much aggravated when he was made to do so. 
The penis was also protruded to the extent of four or five 
inches, and w r as much swollen. There w^ere beside repeated but 
ineffectual efforts to micturate. With a view of relieving the 
bladder of the accumulated urine, I attempted to pass a small 
catheter into the urethral canal, but could not discover any 
opening. Supposing that the closure of the passage de- 
pended principally upon the general tumefaction of the penis, 
I determined to remove a portion of the glans, and excised 
about two inches of the organ, but met with no better suc- 
cess in discovering a passage large enough to admit the 
catheter. On examining the bladder per rectum , I found it 
greatly distended, almost to bursting; and consequently I 
at once cut down upon the urethra, as in a case of lithotomy, 
but found myself in as great a difficulty as before, being even 
now unable to pass an instrument into the bladder from the 
partial closure of the canal with adventitious membranes. 
As the case appeared to be a hopeless one, I gave direc- 
tions for the poor beast to be slaughtered, which -was accord- 
ingly done. 
[We regard this as a very interesting and unusual case. 
Instances of chronic thickening of the body of the penis, 
