Siliceous Deposits from the Urine. 263 



ordinary that, allowing the analysis of which, however, the 

 details are not given to be correct, doubts may be fairly en- 

 tertained of its urinary origin. From its composition, it is 

 more legitimately referable to the class of mineral productions. 



In the case noticed, in an earlier number of this Journal, as 

 occurring to me, and in another, with the circumstances of 

 which I was not personally so well acquainted, the urine 

 showed a great tendency to alkalescence. They were both 

 women ; and one of them, Newton, died lately, after having 

 been much afflicted ; the other has left this neighbourhood, 

 and I have not heard of her for some considerable time. 

 I regret much that I had not any opportunity of examining 

 the urine in the present case, the gentleman having quitted 

 this neighbourhood the day following that on which I saw him. 

 I understood him to say that he passed water with great diffi- 

 culty and pain, and that much exertion brought on a discharge 

 of blood. 1 understood also that, on sounding, no calculus 

 could be discovered ; and, indeed, the shape and size of the 

 fragments tend to prove that, if formed, it must be of very 

 small size. I have generally observed that the secretion of 

 much earthy matter is connected with an alkaline diathesis, 

 and, indeed, soon induces disease of the bladder. 



The circumstances which give rise to the appearance of 

 silex in the urine are enveloped in the utmost obscurity. I 

 believe it has not been observed to separate from the urine 

 (after being passed) in a crystallized form spontaneously, nor 

 can it be effected by art. I certainly once observed a deposi- 

 tion of something like crystallized silex on the sides of a tall 

 jar, in which the urine of one of the patients, whose case I 

 have described at length in an earlier number of this Journal, 

 had been suffered to stand for several days; but I must observe 

 upon this subject that, owing to an accident, I had not an op- 

 portunity of verifying my supposition by a chemical examina- 

 tion. The quantity observed in the present case is so minute, 

 that possibly it may be looked upon rather as an accidental in- 

 gredient. To this, however, it may be objected, that its appear- 

 ance in the crystallized form is not exactly compatible with such 

 a view. That pulverulent, or finely comminuted silex, might 

 be introduced with drink into the stomach, and pass (in the 

 VOL. II. Nov. 1831. T 



