496 
URETHRAL CALCULUS IN A FOAL. 
further down, until I could grasp it with a pair of dressing 
forceps, when but little difficulty was experienced in bringing it 
away. Asvery little urinefollowed the extraction of the calculus 
I deemed it necessary to introduce the catheter to ascertain 
if any further obstruction existed in the passage, but 1 found 
that the instrument readily entered the bladder, so that I was 
enabled to empty it of its contents. The evacuation of the 
urine gave great relief; and after this I contented myself by 
merely giving the patient a moderate dose of aperient medicine. 
A calculus of this description in so young an animal—the 
foal being only ten weeks old—is, I think, a very rare 
occurrence. Its presence, however, may probably be ac¬ 
counted for by the foal having to be reared artificially, the 
mare having died, in the act of giving it birth, from a rupture 
of a blood-vessel. The breed being a favorite one, the owner 
spared no pains in rearing the colt, and had it supplied with 
the milk of a cow, together with oil-cake and oats and 
wheaten flour, in, I may say, too large quantities. I ordered 
that the latter should be discontinued. 
From the period of the extraction of the calculus the foal 
went on w T ell, urinated freely, and was soon convalescent. 
I have enclosed the calculus for your examination, and 
w T ould only remark, in conclusion, that the foal did not 
appear to ail anything, except for a few hours before my 
attendance was requested, which doubtless depended on the 
fact of the calculus entering the urethral canal at about that 
time. 
Description of the Calculus. 
\}Veight .— Forty-five grains. 
Form .—An irregular elongated-ovoid. 
Aspect. —Semi-opaque, of a whitish colour, and crystalline 
on its surface. 
Structure .—It was broken on the application of only a 
slight degree of force, when the crystalline exterior fell off 
and disclosed in the centre of the concretion a soft mass, 
having a strong smell of animal matter. 
Analysis .— A portion of the exterior being subjected to the 
action of dilute hydrochloric acid, underwent solution in it, 
accompanied with but very little effervescence, and leaving 
some flocculi. On the addition of oxalate of ammonia to the 
solution a slight cloudiness was produced, but on water of 
ammonia being added, an abundant white precipitate was 
thrown down, which, being touched with nitrate of silver, 
became of a golden yellow colour. In the field of the 
microscope this was found to be made up of prismatic. 
