242 Mr. Venables on Siliceous Gravel 



30th. Urine turbid, opalescent, and wheyish ; a small 

 quantity of the siliceous sand at the bottom of the cup. On 

 being left at rest, a quantity of whitish-looking powder sub- 

 sided, leaving the supernatant urine clear, transparent, and 

 nearly colourless. This urine was alkaline*, and the deposit 

 proved to be the lithates of soda, ammonia, and lime, inter- 

 mixed with a large proportion of fibreo-albuminous matter, 

 such as I have seen frequently discharged from the kidneys, in 

 diseases of these organs, attended with a serous condition of 

 the urine. This urine contained albuminous matter. In 

 other respects its properties nearly as those of the preceding 

 specimens. 



31st. She states she has not passed any appreciable quantity 

 of the red sand since yesterday. The urine more plentiful, 

 and she feels much relieved since passing the sand above 

 described. 



It would be useless to enter more at length upon the general 

 history of these cases, as, with very little differences, perhaps 

 of an accidental nature, what has been already stated com- 

 prises the principal circumstances, so far as they have come to 

 my knowledge. 



In reviewing the above facts, two or three interesting ques- 

 tions suggest themselves. Was this gravel the product of 

 diseased action in the kidneys, and secreted as the oxalate of 

 lime, cystic oxide, or any other morbid and unnatural product ; 

 or was it introduced into the stomach with the patient's drink ? 

 I shall consider the fact of this gravel coming from the bladder, 

 as fully established; for none who will give me credit for 

 veracity in the above detail, can for a moment question the 

 renal origin of the sand, and its passage from the bladder with 

 the urine. If it be a secretion by the kidneys, we naturally 

 inquire, is it the result of morbid function without any supply 

 of the materials, — as by the use of siliceous waters or other 

 siliceous substances, — or does the morbid operation consist in 

 the mere separation and aggregation of the siliceous matters in 

 the water, or aliments ordinarily consumed by the patient? 

 The spring waters in general use in this neighbourhood are 

 hard, and contain lime and siliceous matters in solution ; and 



* She had been taking the liquor amnion, acet. 



