82 



PRODUCTS, ADVENTITIOUS. 



Calculi of the prostate gland are (some- 

 times at least) essentially different in nature 

 from urinary calculi, and belong to the class 

 produced by morbid secretions from mucous 

 surfaces. Sometimes single, they are more 

 generally numerous ; in the latter case, though 

 occasionally found of much greater bulk, they 

 rarely exceed a pea or small nut in size. One 

 variety of prostatal calculus is, according to 

 Dr. Prout, found in the natural cavities of the 

 gland, before this becomes much disorganized; 

 the calculous masses referable to this variety 

 are of more or less rounded shape and yel- 

 lowish-brown colour. Another variety seems 

 to be generally found in an enlarged cavity or 

 abscess of the prostate gland, and sometimes 

 has a highly polished porcellanous appearance. 

 But that this distinction is rather an artificial 

 than a natural one appears from the similarity 

 of composition of both varieties. As first 

 shown by Wollaston, these calculi consist 

 mainly of phosphate of lime and animal matter 

 with carbonate of lime in variable proportions. 

 Prceputial calculi and those found in urinary 

 Jjstulce belong, in the great majority of cases, 

 to the class of saline masses generated through 

 irritation of mucous (or pseudo-mucous) sur- 

 faces, and accordingly consist wholly of earthy 

 phosphates. There is no reason, however, that 

 a particle of gravel, or a minute calculus of 

 various chemical constitutions, might not make 

 its way into these situations, and become the 

 nucleus of further deposit : and in point of 

 fact Homer found uric acid, phosphate of lime, 

 and animal matter in some calculi removed 

 from underneath the prepuce of a child affect- 

 ed with natural phymosis. 



(i). Lachrymal calculi. Calculous forma- 

 tions in the lachrymal organs, positively speak- 

 ing rare, are much less commonly met with in 

 the gland and its excretory ducts than in the 

 folds of the conjunctiva, in connection with 

 the caruncula or in the lachrymal canals and 

 nasal duct. They may be known by the generic 

 name dacryoHth, (from Saxpvov, a tear, and 

 XtOoe, a stone,) first proposed by Walther. 



An example of the actual formation of such 

 calculous masses in the excretory ducts of the 

 gland occurred in the case of a female, aged 19, 

 who came under the notice of Mr. R. H.Meade, 

 (Med. Gazette, 1835.) Twenty- three calculi, 

 of small size, (the largest about a line in dia- 

 meter,) rough, very hard, and of dirty white 

 colour, were discharged from the ducts in the 

 course of four or five days. They consisted 

 principally of phosphate of lime, with a small 

 quantity of carbonate of the same base and 

 traces of animal matter. Von Walther de- 

 scribes a curious case, in which calcareous 

 matter continued to be formed in the folds of 

 the conjunctiva during a space of about ten 

 weeks. The first mass formed was of angular 

 shape, about the size of a pea, and easily ca- 

 pable of being rubbed down into a greasy 

 powder. It reappeared in three days ; and sub- 

 sequently a similar matter formed in the other 

 eye. The deposition ceased under the use of 

 potash internally, but returned three years after; 

 carbonate of lime chiefly, with phosphate of 



lime and animal matter, were its constituents. 

 Numerous examples are on record of such 

 concretions occurring in the follicles of the 

 caruncula. Sandifort, Blegny, Schmucker, Mr. 

 Travers, and others have seen calcareous mat- 

 ter in the lachrymal canals. Krimer* has de- 

 scribed a calculus of the size of a small pea, 

 of ash-grey colour, polished, of calcareous ap- 

 pearance, removed from the nasal duct of a 

 woman, who for nine months had laboured 

 under disease of the lachrymal passages. 



There is a species of calculus, essentially 

 of fatty nature, commonly known as "deer's 

 tears," which forms in the fossa just below the 

 anterior canthus of the adult red deer (cervus 

 elephas). It yields on analysis resin with 

 ethereal oil, fatty oil, wax, cellular substance, 

 colouring matter, chloride of sodium, and phos- 

 phate of lime. Some of these ingredients are 

 supposed to be derived from hair, which is 

 usually entangled with it. It is said to pos- 

 sess the medicinal virtues of the foetid antispas- 

 modics.f 



(e). Nasal calculi. Calculous masses are 

 not extremely uncommon in the nares. Some of 

 them are indubitably formed in the lachrymal 

 passages, whence they glide into the nostrils; 

 such was, in all probability, the case with the 

 little girl spoken of by Bartholinus, who 

 forced small calculi from her nose. In other 

 instances they manifestly originate in the nos- 

 trils themselves; this is especially certain when 

 the nucleus of the mass consists of a foreign 

 body. Thus Horn found a calculus in the 

 nares, the nucleus of which was a cherry-stone. 

 Grandoni removed from the left nostril of a 

 woman, aged 32, a calculus formed of frag- 

 ments of unequal sizes, weighing 76 grains, of 

 a specific gravity of 1.4, without smell, and 

 chemically constituted as follows : 



Phosphate of lime 55.0 



Carbonate of ditto 18.0 



Carbonate of magnesia 7.0 



Organic matter with traces of iron 20.0 



100.0 



In the largest of the fragments a grass seed 

 was discovered, J 



(d) Frontal sinus, calculi of. Several calculi 

 of small size, consisting of phosphate of lime, 

 carbonates of lime and magnesia, oxide of iron 

 and soda in small quantity, and animal matter, 

 were discharged from the frontal sinus of a 

 woman, whose case will be found in a foreign 

 journal. 



(p.) Mouth, calculi of. The interior of the 

 mouth may become the seat of calculous form- 

 ation. Schenk, Echold, and Bartholinus re- 

 late cases of its occurrence in connection with 

 the mucous membrane of the palate; Kruger 

 describes a mass of ashen colour, hard, round, 



* Graefe and Walther's Journal, Bd. x. S. 597. 

 1827. 



f Liiwendardt, Brit, and For. Med. Eev. vol. xi. 

 p. 233. 



| Brit, and For. Med. Rev. vol. xi. p. 238. 



Gaz. Me'd. de Paris, t. 1. No. 2. 



