PARTURIENT APOPLEXY. 
L 
1^5 
- -- -- — — — - 
have translated Franck’s words as follows: ‘The secretion of 
urine is generally stopped, anuria; in some cases, it is only par¬ 
tially suppressed, however. 
“ Urine does not accumulate in the bladder, that organ being 
frequently almost empty for hours; hence removal of its con¬ 
tents is unnecessary unless at an early stage, or in order to ex- 
r am i ne ih On account of the paralyzed condition of the patient 
it is a question if the urine would not flow out of itself, the posi¬ 
tion of the animal favoring it, when the bladder overfills. 
Spinola says, ‘ that it frequently does.’ I have never seen a 
bladder so distended, even in the early stages, that it was neces¬ 
sary to empty it for the comfort or health of the animal.’ 5 
These remarkably inconsistent statements afford but another 
illustration of how the shackles which the teachings of our prede¬ 
cessors, our own preconceived ideas and long cherished theories 
are apt to clasp upon us, may lead us into the error of mistaking 
effect for cause. 
No sane man at all acquainted with the clinical history of the 
disease would for an instant deny the presence of anuria any 
more than he would that of paralysis, but neither of them is 
among the first manifestations of the disease; therefore the 
former, as well as the latter, is a result and not the cause of the 
disease; for it is impossible for urine intoxication to be the 
cause of a disease the beginning of which is not preceded by a 
diminished secretion of some element of the urine. 
We would not for an instant attempt to calculate the “ practi¬ 
cal experience 55 of any writer from a single assertion, but if Dr. 
i Billings has “ never seen a bladder so distended, even in the early 
stages, that it was necessary to empty it for the comfort or health 
of the animal, 55 his has been, to say the least, a most remarkable 
experience. We have never seen a case where catheterization 
was not necessary both for the health and comfort of the patient, 
except where micturition had been accomplished shortly before 
the recumbent position was assumed, and this is strictly in accord 
with the experience of a larger number of practical veterinarians, 
1 a list of whom we have before us and among whose names ap¬ 
pear those of such men as Fleming, Delwart, St. Cyr, Crnzel, 
k 
