An Account of Two Stones of Remarkable Shapes and Sizes, Which, for the Space of Six Years, Were Firmly Lodged in the Urethra of a Young Man, and at Length Successfully Cut out from Thence. Addressed to the Royal Society, on Thursday December 13, 1759, at Which Meeting the Stones Themselves, and a Drawing of the Stones, Were Presented to the Fellows of the Society, by Joseph Warner, F. R. S. and Surgeon to Guy's Hospital

XXXIV. An Account of Two Stones of remarkable Shapes and Sizes, which, for the Space of Six Years, were firmly lodged in the Urethra of a young Man, and at length successfully cut out from thence. Addressed to the Royal Society, on Thursday December 13, 1759, at which Meeting the Stones themselves, and a Drawing of the Stones, were presented to the Fellows of the Society, by Joseph Warner, F. R. S. and Surgeon to Guy's Hospital. Read Dec. 13, 1759. THE formation and confinement of stony concretions in the different parts of the organs of urine, to wit, in the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra, are diseases, which are frequently observed to happen to both sexes of all ages and constitutions: for this reason I am apprised, that there are few instances can be given of such peculiarities attending these cases, as may reasonably be esteemed worthy the attention of the curious. But when matters of fact, however common in themselves, are so circumstanced, as to assume extraordinary appearances, the uncommon phænomena accompanying such facts, when capable of being pointed out, will, I believe, be always considered by the Royal Society, as a sufficient apology for the freedom of the communication. Upon this presumption, I have taken the liberty of laying before the Fellows of this this Society the following short account, and, at the same time, of submitting to their inspection as much of the case, as the nature of the affair could admit of being exhibited. CASE. Thomas Bingham, a very healthy young man, 20 years old, came from Yarmouth to London, in September 1759, and put himself under my care, to be cured of a swelling, which he had in his urethra. Upon questioning the patient, I was informed by him, that he had little or no pain; that he had never perceived the least difficulty in voiding his urine, nor had he ever had the least involuntary efflux of it: he had not at any time suffered in the least but from the bulk and weight of something that grew in his urinary passage (urethra), which, upon exercise of late, proved troublesome to him. Upon inspection, I discovered a considerable prominence betwixt the testicles and anus. Upon feeling the part with my fingers, there appeared a very evident hardness and tumor. By introducing a large, smooth, and ductile, probe into the urethra, it was evident there was a stone or stones lodged in that passage. I advised the cutting the tumor out, which was complied with; and in the following manner I proceeded to the performance of the operation. The patient being supinely placed upon a steady table, of a convenient height, covered with a double blanket, and a pillow put under his shoulders, I caused his hands and feet to be tied together; and, by proper assistants, he was held in the same position as is done in the operation of cutting for the stone in the urinary bladder. I then proceeded to divide the urethra longitudinally by incision. The extent of the incision was from one end of the swelling to the other: the length and size of the wound enabled me to take away the stones without any violence or difficulty. After the stones were removed, I brought the lips of the wound together, and, with the twisted suture, I retained them in that situation. By this method, and by occasionally passing a bougie of a proper size into the urethra, beyond the farther extent of the incision, the patient went happily on, till the cure of the wound was completed, which was effected in about three weeks; and there afterwards remained no inconvenience at all to the patient in voiding or retaining his urine. N. B. As the identical calculi are presented to the Fellows of the Royal Society for their inspection, so that the exact sizes, shapes, and external formations, of these stones may be seen; I think it quite unnecessary to give a written account of these particulars. However, as it may probably give some satisfaction to the curious to be informed of the specific gravities of these stones, I have subjoined these particulars to this memoir, and have likewise, for the same reason, caused an engraving of these stones to be made, and added to this paper. Weight Weight in air. | in water. | Spec. gravity. ---|---|--- Large stone 308 5 | 92 85 | 1.431 Small stone 42 35 | 10 4 | 1.326 Both stones 350 8 | 102 9 | 1.415 Quære. Is it not probable, that the generation of these stones might originally have begun in the urethra, as the patient did not ever remember to have had the least complaint in his loins, or in any part of his bladder? Or is it more reasonable to suppose, that the stones were first of all formed in the kidney, or urinary bladder, from thence conveyed with the stream of urine, when very small, and lodged in the urethra, till they had arrived to these sizes? Either of these suppositions to me appears reasonable. However, as hypotheses of this kind are with difficulty ascertained, and as a discovery of the fact, could it be determinately made, would prove of very little consequence to the improvement of the art of surgery, I think it quite unnecessary to dwell upon a part of this subject, in which the benefit of mankind appears to be so little concerned. Plate VIII. Fig. 1. represents the upper parts of the two stones, as they were found lying loosely together in the urethra. The longest end, that is, the smallest of these two stones, was situated nearest to the neck of the bladder, or origin of the urethra. It may be observed, that, on the superior part of these stones, there are two long grooves or chansels, which were gradually formed by the streams of urine, that were occasionally discharged from the bladder. It may farther be observed, that the whole surfaces of these two stones, except the parts of them where they lay in contact with each other, or where they continually pressed upon the lower surface of the urethra, or bed, which they had formed for themselves in this chanel, are rough, and have several inequalities, or eminences arising from them. Fig. 2. represents the inferior smooth parts of the two stones, as they appeared when separated from each other, as well as the smooth or polished surfaces of the ends of these stones, which lay in contact with each other, and upon motion rubbed against each other. XXXV. Experiments on the Tourmalin: by Mr. Benjamin Wilson, F. R. S. In a letter to Dr. William Heberden, F. R. S. SIR, Read Dec. 6. I have the pleasure to communicate to you some experiments made upon the Tourmalin, or Ashstone, which you were so kind as to procure me, together with some others, respecting the vitreous and resinous electricities, as they are called, and the observations I have made thereupon. The more I am acquainted with electricity, the more I admire a wonderful simplicity which seems to prevail in nature, at least in this part which abounds with phenomena of a very curious kind; whereof many that have passed under my examination of late are so extremely nice, that I avoid venturing to relate them, because I would not willingly subject myself to the censure of incautious observers.