LIT. | 172 
ought to give lithontriptics their quietus. Noone, — 
however captious, or vituperative, would surely — 
accuse the practitioner or the patient in this in- 
stance, with a want of perseverence! One can- — 
not but hesitate to whom to award the greatest 
praise—the Doctor for his faith and pertinacious- 
ness in opinion, or the patient for his submission 
and fortitude. T'o conclude this subject, on which 
I have already spent more words than it is worth; 
Cullen did not.believe in these remedies, and pro- 
vided no class for their reception. His comment- 
ator, the late Dr. Barton, added the class Antili- 
thica, but discarded from his lectures the idea of @ — 
veritable lithontriptic—he taught no such doctrine 
as the possibility of retaining such an absurd class. 
Dr. Paris says “after all. however, thesolvent pow- 
er of lithontriptic remedies must be very limited, 
and in advanced cases we can never expect to pro- 
cure more than palliation.” Dr. Eberle observes in 
his work on medicines * it is very questionable 
whether we possess any remedies capable of dis- 
solving calculi existing in the urinary organs. 
The attempt at removing calculous concretions by 
remedies of this kind having hitherto, proved abor- 
tive, is a fact which sufficiently warrants the scep- 
ticism which prevails on this subject.” Even Dr. 
. man who upholds these remedies by various — 
remarks to that effect in his discourse on the class, 
in finishing the subject observes ‘ notwithstanding 
all I have said, I shall not absolutely insist on 
the solvent powers of any substance, with which 
we are at present acquainted.” I have already 
fully set forth my Own opinion on the suject, and 
thinking it high time to cease the perpetuation of 
auseless and misleading class, instruct you, as 
far as my influence may be thought worthy to ex- 
tend, that you throw the class with reference tu the 
