A Letter from Edward Nourse, F. R. S. Surgeon to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, to the President and Fellows of the Royal Society, Giving an Account of Several Stones Found in Bags Formed by a Protrusion of the Coats of the Bladder, as Appeared upon Opening the Body of One Mr. Gardiner

III. A Letter from Edward Nourse, F.R.S. Surgeon to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, to the President and Fellows of the Royal Society, giving an Account of several Stones found in Bags formed by a protrusion of the Coats of the Bladder, as appeared upon opening the Body of one Mr. Gardiner. Read Jan. 7. 1741-2. Permit me to lay before you the Bladder of Mr. Gardiner, who was, the 5th of March 1739, before the Trustees appointed by the Parliament to inquire into the Efficacy of Mrs. Stephens's Medicines, produced as an Instance, where they had been effectual in dissolving the Stone in the Bladder. Mr. Gardiner was searched by me on Saturday the 30th of December 1738. I felt a Stone the Moment my Instrument was introduced; which was likewise felt by Mr. Wall, his Apothecary, then present. The Tuesday following, he began to take Mrs. Stephens's Medicines, and continued them eight Months. On the 30th of November 1739. I saw him at Child's Coffee-house, when he told me, he was quite free from his usual Disorders: I there searched him again, in the Presence of several Physicians and Surgeons, who likewise felt for the Stone, but none could be found. Mr. Gardiner dying on Saturday the 2d of January 1741-2, the next Morning, in the Presence of Mr. St. Hill, and Mr. Wall, I opened his Bladder, and therein observed six preternatural Apertures of different Sizes, the biggest capable of admitting the Top of my Finger. Each of these Openings led to a separate Bag, formed by an Inlargement of the internal Membrane of the Bladder, protruded between the Fibres of its muscular Coat. These Bags are to be seen on the back Part of the Bladder, a little above the Vesiculae Seminales; and when viewed on the Outside, seem to be but Two; though they are in Number equal to the Openings within, already mentioned; and divided from one another by the Duplicature of the internal Membrane, which forms a Septum between each of them. In these Sacculi, or Bags, are contained nine Stones; the largest about the Size of a small Nutmeg; and with what Facility some of them moved out of, and returned into, the Sacculi, the following Circumstance will clearly evince. When I had open'd the Abdomen, Mr. St. Hill, handling the Bladder, brought two of these Stones up to its Fundus, where they were felt by Mr. Wall and myself.—We then examined the Kidneys: The Right contained a little Matter, otherwise it was as it should be: But of the Left, Two-thirds were wasted; its Pelvis was contracted in Proportion, and the Ureter almost impervious.—Upon rehandling the Bladder, neither of us could feel any Stone; I therefore laid it open, and we found them all in the Sacculi. The Stones that are in one of these these *Sacculi*, have been so much inlarged since their Lodgment, that without Force and Laceration they cannot be got out. I am, **Gentlemen,** Your most obedient, and most humble Servant, Edward Nourse. *Figure the First,* (See TAB.) *Shews the Bladder cut open.* 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. The preternatural Apertures opening into so many *Sacculi*, in which the Stones were contained. 7. 8. The two *Ureters*. 9. 10. Their Openings into the Bladder. 11. The Opening from the Bladder into the *Urethra*. 12. The prostrate Gland, which was scirrhouss and inlarged. 13. The *Urethra* cut off. *Figure the Second.* *Shews the Back-part of the Bladder, upon which the external Membrane being taken away, the Fibres of its muscular Coat are very apparent.* A. The Fibres of the *Detrusor Urinae*. B.B. The Sacculi formed by the internal Membrane, protruded between the Fibres of the De- trusor Urinae. CCCCCCCCC. The Stones, as they appear in the Sacculi, Eight in one, and One (the largest No. 6.) in the other. DD. The Ureters. EE. The Vesicula Seminales turned back, to shew the whole Extent of the Sacculi. FF. The Vasa Deferentia. G. The Back-part of the prostrate Gland. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. The Stones which came easily out of the Sacculi. 7. One of the Stones sawed, the Nucleus of which appears white, and the Surface of them all appears reddish. IV. Some further Observations concerning Electricity, by J. T. Desaguliers, L.L.D. F.R.S. Dec. 14. 1741. Electrics per se (which I have here- tofore defin'd, Bodies in which an Electrical Virtue may be raised by some Action on them, such as Rubbing, Patting, Warming, &c.) are reduc'd to a Non-electric State, by being in Contact with Non-electric Bodies, especially Water, which is the greatest Non-electric, even when it becomes Vapour. A Non-electric (which though it cannot be made Electrical by any Action upon it) receives Electricity from