338 
L. V. PLAGEMAN— J. T. DUNCAN. 
citement while being driven with shoes to which she was not accustomed; 
but the symptoms did not show themselves for about five days after. 
In her case the symptoms lasted some six weeks, and the short duration 
of the case above recorded would make it doubtful to us of its being a 
case of idiopathic tetanus .] 
URETHRAL CALCULI. 
By J. T. Duncan, V. S., Goderich. 
Some time ago a farmer from a distance requested me to see a 
horse of his which had passed very little water for more than thirty-six 
hours, in spite of the administration of liberal doses of “ saltpetre” and 
“ sweet nitre.” 
On my arrival, I found the patient exceedingly uneasy, abdomen 
evidently distended, the urethra prominent and full along its visible 
course, and an occasional drop of urine escaping from it. It was plainly 
a case of urethral obstruction, and I prepared at once to pass the 
catheter, as, from the condition of the patient, rupture of the bladder 
might occur at any moment. On attempting to do so, however, I 
found, firmly fixed in the urethral tube, and almost completely blocking 
it, a large, hard, smooth calculus. As it was low down, I/attempted to 
extricate it by means of the forceps, but, from its great size and hard¬ 
ness, it could neither be removed whole nor reduced in size. The knife 
was the only other alternative, and as no time was to be lost, I deter¬ 
mined to operate with the patient standing. By two careful incisions 
in the urethral tube, the calculus was removed, and with it escaped the 
urinal contents of the urethra. Immediate relief was apparent, but the 
bladder, having become paralyzed from over distention, it was necessary 
to evacuate the viscus by means of the catheter. The horse made an 
excellent recovery. 
In regard to the calculus itself, the patient unfortunately stepped 
on and injured it. The remainder, however, which shows clearly the 
great size of the concretion originally, has been presented to the mus¬ 
eum of the Ontario Veterinary College. 
This case forms an excellent commentary on the use, or rather the 
abuse, of diuretics by non-professional gentleman. 
It also clearly shows the importance of operating in such a case 
with the patient standing. Had he been cast, the bladder would almost 
inevitably have been ruptured. This is but the second case of urethral 
calculus occurring in a practice of seven years, the other being that of a 
ram. In this case the calculus was exceedingly small, was discovered in 
