An Account of a Stone of a Prodigious Size Extracted by Section out of a Woman's Bladder, Now Living, on the Eighth Day of November, 1693. by Mr. Basil Wood, Surgeon

4. That Light takes up more time in Travelling from the Stars to us, than we in making a West-India Voyage (which is ordinarily performed in six Weeks.) That a Sound would not arrive to us from thence in 50000 Years, nor a Cannon-Bullet in a much longer time. This is easily computed, by allowing (according to Mr. Newton) Ten Minutes for the Journey of Light from the Sun hither, and that a Sound moves about 1300 Foot in a Second. III. An Account of a Stone of a Prodigious size extracted by Section out of a Woman's Bladder, now living, on the Eighth day of November, 1693. by Mr. Basil Wood, Surgeon. The Person who performed this, being prevailed upon by some Friends to give the Curious an Account of the extraordinary bigness and shape of this Stone, has communicated it to the Publisher of these Transactions, in the following words. This Stone was taken from Mrs. Henchman, a Widow Gentlewoman, of the Age of about One and Fifty Years, who Lodges in Kings-Head-Court in Holborn. Its shape is not very unlike to a sort of Spring-Purse (as they are called) which many People use; and its surface is indifferently smooth, excepting only that there are Four Protuberances, each of which is about the size of a Hazel-Nut; these seem to have been at first lesser Stones, which falling into the Bladder after that the great Stone was almost grown to its full bigness there, were joined to it, first by adhesion, and at last became all one Body with it. It is also very probable that that the lesser end of the great Stone, was once a distinct Stone, and fell into, or was separately formed in the Bladder, a good while after that the bigger part had taken possession there. The length of the Stone is $3 \frac{1}{4}$ Inches. Its breadth, where largest, is very near $3 \frac{1}{2}$ Inches. Its thickness is $1 \frac{1}{2}$ Inch. Its weight is Nine Ounces and a half Avoirdupois. Dr. Molineux (that learned Physician of Dublin) in his Account of an extraordinary large Stone spontaneously voided by a Woman through the Urethra, inserted in No. 202 of the Transactions, has mentioned two or three Notions, which I suppose this Operation does confute. First, He thinks that Women never breed Stones so large as Men; the contrary of which seems to be manifest by this Operation: For perhaps a Stone of so large a size as this was never yet taken out of the Bladder of a living Man. Secondly, He seems to conclude it probable that all Women may be freed from the Stone by dilation of the Urinary Passage, and then forcing away the Stone through it: Which Method I think cannot be depended upon, since the Stones may prove of so great a size. Thirdly, He says, That dividing the Membranous Substance of the Bladder, is to be avoided as certain Death to the Patient; whereas this Stone, and many other have proved too large to be extracted through an Incision made only within the short Neck of a Woman's Bladder. The Patient never had the least ill Symptom since her being cut, and is now perfectly well. IV. Dr.