Some Instances of Other Persons Who Were Hurt by Swallowing Plumb-Stones, by the Publisher

more so in *Ambr. Pary*, lib. 25, cap. 19, but neither of them so strange in cause or effects as mine. It's not for want of old Authorities that I have here quoted few but Moderns; I know Galen, Crato, Sennertus, M. Donatus, Z. Lusitanus, Fernelius, G. Horstius, Schenckius, and many more before this Age, who have told the world of Stones generated in, and ejected from the Intestines of diseased people, but none that I know with such surprizing circumstances as this sent you by SIR, Your most humble Servant, James Yonge. The Ball entire is figured No 3, and its inside and Plumb-stones by it. V. Some instances of other persons who were hurt by swallowing Plumb-stones, by the Publisher. The discourse mentioned in the beginning of the foregoing Letter was concerning Plumb-stones which had been swallowed by some persons, and had been the cause of their Sickness or Death. The first was a Man in Lancashire, who being for many years ill of the Colic, and receiving relief from no Med'cine, desired he might be dissected after his Death, to see what might be the cause of his Disease. This was accordingly done, and they took out of one of his Guts a large Ball 6 inches about, of an ounce and half weight made up of a spungy matter which swims in Water, and viewed by a Microscope, appeared to be made up of very small, transparent Hairs or Fibres, wrought together, after the manner of the Tophus Bovinus taken out of the maws of Oxen. In the middle or center of it was a common Prune or Plumb-stone, which had been swallowed, and sticking somewhere in the Guts, had gathered that substance about it which resembled the small Hairs on the skins of several Creatures or Fibers of Plants we eat. Dr Charles Leigh in his Natural History of Lancashire, &c. in his first Table has figured this Fig. 4. He shewing me the same, I was desirous to see what it was made of, and had it cut for that purpose, and found it of a hairy or fibrous substance, layer upon layer, or coat upon coat, over a Plumb-stone. This Ball with its Plumb-stone and several Coats, my very good Friend Dr Leigh was pleased to give me, and it is now in my possession, and seems to be of the same substance with that mentioned by Mr Yonge. The second instance I saw of these Balls was by the means of Dr Wm Cole, who did me the favour to shew me a Letter he had from the Country, and some smaller Balls than the 2 before mentioned, which had in their centers Plumb-stones. The person he was consulted for, had, I think, the Colick to a great degree, and had voided several of them, they were not so Spherical, but of a compres'd figure, smooth on the outside and glaz'd as some of the Tophi Bowini are; and seemed within of the same substance with the former stratum super stratum upon a Plumb-stone. A third instance like these I saw, through the favour of the late Dr Wm Stokeham, who shewed me a Ball about the largeness of that I had of Dr Leigh, which had been voided by a person after great Sickness, and preserved by the Patient's Physician, who was one famous for practising Chemically some years ago, viz. Dr George Thompson. He has wrote a large account of this case, and printed it in his experimenta admiranda, p.67. de Lithocolo, I had this last Ball in my possession some time, and in appearance it was of the same substance, but what was contained in it I could not tell, not being permitted to open it, but that Author tells us it had several Plumb and Cherry-stones in it. These Balls seem to be form'd something after the manner of Bezoars, which generally have some seed for their Center or nucleus, on which Coats of another substance are gathered. These instances are sufficient to shew the folly of that common opinion, that the Stones of Fruit are wholesome, for tho by Nature the Guts are so defended by the Mucus Intestinalis, that very seldom People suffer, yet if we consider the various circumvolutions of the Guts, their valves and cells; and at the same time consider the hair of the Skins of Animals we feed on, the Wooll or Down on Herbs and Fruit, the Fibres, Vessels, and Nerves of Plants which are not altered by the Stomach, the same case may very easily happen. I once saw as strange a Distemper, and almost as obstinate and long as I ever met with, proceed from a great quantity of Strawberry Seeds which had lodged in the Guts, and after their discharge the person was eased. And I have heard of many besides those published, who have lost their Lives by swallowing many Cherry-stones. VI. A Letter from Mr Thoresby, F. R. S. to the Publisher, concerning the Vestigia of a Roman Town lately discovered near Leedes in Yorkshire. Sir, In obedience to your Commands, to acquaint the Society with any thing remarkable that occurs in these parts, this brings you notice of the discovery of the Vestigia of a Roman Town, upon the Moor near Adel Mill, 4 miles from Leedes; 'twas found out accidentally by a Tenant of Mr Arthington, who endeavouring to plow part of his Farm, was retarded by a great quantity of Stone, immediately below the surface of the Earth, which he was forced to dig up before he could proceed, and has already out of the Foundations of Houses, which they traced on both sides the Street, got so many Stones as has built above 100 rods of Walling. At a very little distance is a Roman Camp pretty entire, 'tis above 4 Chains broad and 5 long, surrounded with a single Vallum, which from the top of the Agger to the bottom of the Trench is yet 22 foot deep in the place I measured, but the extremity of the weather prevented so particular a Survey as I designed.