236 Mr. Venables on Siliceous Gravel. 



with dyspnoea. When she consulted Mr. Bird, she complained 

 most of the pulmonary affection ; but after the urgency of the 

 symptoms had been subdued by venesection and other appro- 

 priate means, she was seized with severe pains in the back and 

 loins. They were of a sharp lancinating description, and shot, 

 as she termed it, from the kidney to the bladder, observing the 

 exact course of the ureter. These pains continuing to increase, 

 and becoming every day more distressing, Mr. Bird requested 

 me to see her, which I did on the 20th May, 1828. I found 

 her in the state above described, and with other symptoms of 

 severe urinary disorder. She told me that she had for a long 

 time considered herself subject to gravel. A few days after 

 I visited her, she gave to Mr. Bird two small concretions 

 passed at separate times, and with a short interval between. 

 Mr. Bird handed me one, but the other he unfortunately lost, 

 and he had not attended to its characters. That which I 

 received presented the following characters : — It was about 

 the size of a large pin-head, rather opaque, of a whitish colour, 

 and of an oblong shape, slightly excavated. The shape very 

 much resembled that of a cystic oxide calculus in my posses- 

 sion, and which was passed by a woman in this neighbourhood ; 

 the details of which I shall endeavour to communicate in a 

 future Number. This figure I consider as bearing some slight 

 resemblance to that of the kidney itself. Exposed to the flame 

 of the blowpipe, it underwent no change whatever, although 

 it was urged for upwards of ten minutes, and exposed during 

 this time to the strongest heat I could excite with this instru- 

 ment. It scratched glass like common flint. Neither acetic, 

 nitric, nor muriatic acids, though boiled upon it, produced any 

 effect. It was then treated with caustic potass, but without 

 any sensible effect. Having occasion to go to London, I took 

 it and shewed it to my friend Dr. Prout : he, at first, thought 

 it was a tooth, but, on looking at it more closely, he immedi- 

 ately pronounced it silex, after writing with it upon one of the 

 panes of glass in the window of his study. I then detailed to 

 Dr. Prout its history, and it was upon this occasion that he 

 told me his doubts as to the existence of urinary siliceous con- 

 cretions, and expressed his desire of having the question satis- 

 factorily and unequivocally decided. Lastly, on my return to 



