on the 22d June, exactly at the same time with the common variety. At that period, I visited the field every evening for a week, and although the flies were numerously and busily employed on every ear of the common wheat, the half of which they destroyed, I, and my friends who went frequently with me, could only detect one solitary fly at work on the new variety; and although the ear was marked, no maggots could therein be afterwards observed. A patch of Triticum compositum was near, and was but little hurt by the fly indeed the variety now sent bears a strong resemblance to that species of wheat, only its straw is fistulous, while that of the other is -nearly solid, nor has it any tendency to throw out small side panicles. The grain of this wheat, you will observe, is coarse, but its produce will more than make up for that defect; each ear generally yields from seventy to ninety grains, or double the number of common wheat: it ripens about a week after red wheat, and, when standing, is from a foot to eighteen inches taller than common wheat.

From the high temperature, dry state of the soil, and clear sunshine, that prevailed in the early part of the month of May last summer, I anticipated (Magazine of Natural History), that the maggot would appear in the fly state much sooner than the wheat would burst the ear, and that they would be fewer in number, more exhausted, and consequently less capable of injuring the wheat than in former years. These anticipations have been fully realized; but should the state of the atmosphere, in future years, again render them formidable, sowing the variety of wheat in question may prove a remedy; and may, in these hard times, be more generally adopted, than sowing the half sterile Triticum polonicum, or its subvarieties-nice operations of ploughing, according to Mr Shirreff, being out of the question. ANNAT GARDEN, 13th Dec. 1831.

[We have examined the specimen of wheat which Mr Gorrie has done us the favour to transmit to us, and we find it to be of the species turgidum, and the variety cultivated in some parts of England under the name of Cone Wheat. It entirely answers the character given of it by Mr Gorrie, having a tall vigorous stem, and being very productive, though the quality of the grain is inferior to that of the common winter wheat.-EDIT.]

ON CALCULI, AND THE MODE OF REMOVING THEM, IN DOMESTIC ANIMALS. By Mr DICK, Veterinary Surgeon, Edinburgh.

WH

HEN a disease is not of frequent occurrence, the pain and uneasiness which it produces great, and its nature obscure, the case, whether in man or in the lower animals, becomes extremely perplexing to the practitioner under whose care it may chance to fall. Of this description of disease in the lower animals are urinary calculi. And as diseases in these animals are only to be traced from a knowledge of the symptoms which they produce, I presume that any apology for offering an account of the following case will be deemed unnecessary.

On the 26th of September last, I received a letter from Mr Adam Pope, Tarvis, Aberdeenshire, of which the following is an extract :- "Two days ago,” he 66 says, a farmer sent for me to attend a mare of his, affected with what I consider to be incontinence of urine. She is fourteen years old; she had a foal two years ago, and was again stinted in the end of June last. The owner informs me that he never observed that any thing was the matter with her until after that time; and he therefore considers that some injury has then been done to her. The poor animal is now in a distressing condition. Every ten or fifteen minutes, a small quantity of urine is suddenly evacuated, and so suddenly is she often compelled to eject it, that she is unable to place herself in the position which nature points out; the consequence of which is, that the urine running down the thighs and legs has completely excoriated them. To-day (23d' September) I saw her frequently making painful and ineffectual efforts to void her urine, and exhibiting every symptom of acute suffering; and the urine which she has been enabled to void is tinged with blood. Until within these two days, she has continued to take her food and water as usual, but she now has a great thirst, and the disease is evidently increasing rapidly. I shall, therefore, feel extremely obliged by your favouring me with your opinion of her case. I have to-day bled her freely, and administered a

dose of laxative medicine."

To this letter I replied, that it was in my opinion a case of stone in the bladder; that the bladder, and other parts connected

with it, which are situated within the cavity of the pelvis, should be carefully examined, by introducing the hand into the rectum, by which means the bladder would be felt resting on the lower part of the pelvis, under the portion of intestine into which the hand had been introduced. It would thus, I observed, be at once ascertained whether my opinion was correct or not: for, if a calculus existed, it would be felt hard, or if any other disease existed in the bladder, it would be felt with equal facility. If, by this means, it was supposed that a stone existed, a sound might be passed along the urethra, and it would crisp upon the calculus. Should this be found to be the case, there could then be no doubt on the subject, and the stone would therefore require to be removed by an operation. This, I also observed, as the patient is a mare, might be effected, perhaps, by simply dilating the urethra. Having introduced the hand into the rectum, the stone, if a small one, might be removed by a pair of forceps, when it has been pressed towards the orifice by the hand in the intestine. The circumstances of the case should, however, direct the proceedings; and that, from the shortness of the urethra in females, there would perhaps be little difficulty in the operation.

I further stated that as there might be a good deal of disease induced in the bladder, from the long continuance of the calculus in it, the simple removal of the calculus might not perhaps remove all the effects which had been produced. I suggested, therefore, that it might be necessary to inject something afterwards into the bladder to wash out any particles which might remain, or to allay the irritation produced by the long continuance of a foreign body in the part; for which purpose warm water might be used, or if there seemed to be much pain, a solution of opium, or a diluted tincture of the same, might be found of service.

On the 19th of October, I received a letter again from Mr Pope, saying," You were right with the case of the mare about which I wished your advice. There was a stone weighing eight ounces in the bladder, which I removed according to your instructions, ten days ago. On introducing my hand into the rectum, and pressing downwards, I was surprised to find a large hard tumour, and having satisfied myself of its nature, I proceeded with the operation, by introducing the left hand into

the rectum, and with it pressing the stone towards the opening of the urethra. I had thus a full view of the orifice; but finding from the size of the calculus that it would require an uncommonly large wound to allow of the extraction of the stone in one piece, I merely dilated the urethra by making an incision about an inch and a half in length; and then introducing a pair of forceps, I took hold of the stone, and broke it down. This was the more easily effected from the circumstance of the stone being of a conglomerated texture. I then gradually removed the substance piece-meal, which, when collected together, weighed upwards of eight ounces. After the operation was completed (which was done while the animal was standing), I injected a quantity of warm water into the bladder, to wash out any little particles which remained, and afterwards injected a very mild solution of sulphate of zinc. There remained, however, a good deal of irritation of the bladder, to correct which I gave small doses of the tincture of cantharides twice a-day. Opium was afterwards used with benefit."

I am now informed by Mr Pope, that the mare, when he left her in November, was again quite well, and at work. The natural action of the parts are restored, and she seems to enjoy all the benefits of good health.

The greater portion of the calculus was transmitted to me, which I put into the hands of my friend Dr Murray, Lecturer on Chemistry, for the purpose of having it analyzed. By the analysis, 100 parts were found to be composed of―

Carbonate of Lime, about
Animal Matter, apparently mucus of the bladder and albumen
indurated,

40

60

100

This, indeed, appears to be the composition of almost all the calculi which are found in the lower animals, though it is rare that they attain to the size of the one in question.

Calculi in the bladder frequently occur in bullocks; and as small pieces of them occasionally pass with the urine, they are sometimes found to obstruct the passage, and threaten the life of the animal.

The animal will then be seen to stretch himself out, for a few minutes, making ineffectual attempts to void his urine, stamp his

feet with pain, and kick his belly as if suffering from colic. Unless he is at this time relieved, the pain rapidly increases, inflammation of the bladder follows, and it becomes ruptured either by over distention, or from its own effort to force out its contents; the urine escapes into the cellular tissue, or the cavity of the belly, producing inflammation of the peritoneal coat, which is followed by dropsy and death.

When the operation is to be performed on an ox, the chief circumstance to be attended to is this: On making the incision on the part where the calculi is retained, it is advisable to draw the skin a little to one side before making the incision through the skin, and, having done this, the urethra may either be raised out from its situation in the loose cellular membrane, with which it is here surrounded, and the incision made into the canal, while it is thus raised, or, if it can be done with readiness, the incision may be continued through all the parts, while they lie in their natural position. This latter operation, however, requires more dexterity than the other, and is also more apt to lead to untoward consequences; because, if the incision is not made freely, and at once through all the parts into the canal, the repeated incisions produce more or less laceration of the parts; and there is a considerable degree of danger that, from this cause, some of the urine, as it escapes after the opening is made, will flow into the cellular membrane, and produce a troublesome if not a dangerous degree of inflammation and infiltration of the tissue.

After the bladder has completely emptied itself of urine, the parts may be allowed to resume their natural situation. The skin having been drawn to one side before the operation was performed, will now be drawn over the opening in the urethra, and thus the wound in it will be closed. After the bladder has been emptied, the urine will not again pass along the canal for a short time, and thus the parts will have so far reinstated themselves by adhesion, and a deposition of coagulum, that the urine will at next evacuation flow along the natural passage, and the animal feel but little the effects of the operation.

I have in my possession several calculi removed from oxen, by Mr Laing, Veterinary Surgeon at Banchory; and Mr Pope has also several times performed this operation.