38 Memoirs of the late 
afford to themselves, exerted all their influ- 
ence in procuring subscriptions for its estab- 
lishment and support, Thus was first begun 
to be erected in the year 1752, a structure, 
which at that period, was considered as amply 
sufficient for its objects, but which has since 
been liberally accommodated to the necessi- 
ties arising from a vastly imcreased popu- 
lation. , 
It has been already mentioned that the be- 
nefits of the Manchester Infirmary were likely 
to be extended to some of the neighbourmg 
counties. The lead mines of Derbyshire, 
and the coal mines of our own district, of 
Cheshire, and the confines of Yorkshire, sup- 
plied many accidents and cases in which ca- 
pital operations were required. The town of 
Manchester (the spring water of which con- 
tains much calcareous earth) and the sur- 
rounding country, afford very few cases of 
stone ;* but it is remarkable that those parts 
»of Yorkshire, where the water is almost free 
from calcareous impregnation, are extremely 
productive of this terrible disease. Most of 
these cases were sent to the Manchester Infir- 
* Chemical analysis has lately shewn that lime is not an 
essential constituent part of the human caleulus. 
