154 MEMOIR ON VESICAL CALCULI, AND 
He did so, and at once ascertained that it inclosed a calculus. lie first 
made some attempts at dissolution, by injecting vinegar and water into the 
bladder; but the difficulties and trouble attendant on the process were 
such as to discourage the continuance ot (otherwise) so interesting an 
experiment. 
“ Nothing more could be done but have recourse to lithotomy. The 
animal was placed and confined in a break, and the operation performed on 
him in the erect posture. To serve as a guide to the knite, the urethra w as 
first distended with warm water; a longitudinal incision was next made 
into it at its curvature, through which a tinted sound was passed into the 
bladder; along this the urethral incision was extended, until the neck of the 
bladder w'as also laid open. In doing this, the artery of the bulb was 
divided, but immediately afterwards secured. The stone extracted weighed 
within two drams of half a pound. 
“ The animal received every subsequent care. The wound was left to 
itself: urine flowed through it, and continues so to do to this day, some 
drops only issuing from the penis; all means to close the fistulous wound 
having hitherto failed.” 
This forms a grievous occurrence ; such an occurrence as might, 
without any very obvious grounds for medical complaint, cast a 
deep shade upon, or even blight, the rising reputation of some 
veterinarian unpractised in this branch of his art. It is evident 
from the account of this case, that there happened some inartifi¬ 
cialness or improvidence in laying open the bladder, together with 
the pelvic portion of the urethra. Our author states, that this part 
of the operation “ was several times repeated, in order to make 
the opening sufficiently large for the passage of the stone;” in one 
of which dilatations it was that the artery was wounded. Here 
the operator seems to have over-acted his part: in one essential 
particular we cannot help thinking he left that undone which j* 
ought to have been done; and that is, the closure of the external I 
wound: sutures might or might not have been advisable; some 
sort of closure we consider indispensable. However, let us give 
ear to our author. 
“ Lithotomy is seldom heard of in veterinary practice, for these two 
reasons:—first, because the formation and development of vesical calculi in 
monodactyles is extremely rare; and, secondly, because animals thus 
affected die without it being suspected or presumed that such a disease 
exists.” 
Without questioning the former of these positions, viz. the 
rarity of cases of stone in the bladder , we would take occasion to 
remark here, that we have long had apprehensions that the uri¬ 
nary disorders of our domestic quadrupeds, and of horses in par¬ 
ticular, are apt, very apt, to pass by the practitioner unnoticed, 
or at least, uninvestigated with that practical minuteness which 
they certainly at his hands demand. One of the earliest com¬ 
plaints of an English groom is, that his horse stales with difficulty , 
often , and but little at a time; or that he is continually making 
