on the Effects of Magnesia. 349 
Being in the profession of the law, and much employed, 
Twas under the necessity of leading a very sedentary life, 
which so aggravated my tendency to bile and indigestion, 
that T seldom could get above two or three hours sleep. 
With a view to alleviate these symptoms, and not with 
any idea of its being beneficial to the stone, I resorted to 
magnesia, which I continued with httle intermission for 
eight months in the dose of a tea-spoonfal or two, every 
evening before I went to bed. The long vacation coming 
on, I gradually took more exercise, and used the cold bath. 
The tone of my stomach, at the end of the pericd I have 
mentioned, was so far restored as to induce me to set medi- 
cine of all kinds aside, except when any food or drink dis- 
agrees, when | occasionally resort to the magnesia. Under 
such treatment, the weakness and pain in my kidney left 
me, and the red sand entirely disappeared. 1 Have since 
enjoyed a very good state of health, and am now in my 
fifty-seventh year. 
If I occasionally make a little free with the good things 
of this world, my stomach reminds me of the improper use 
of the lixivium, especially when ] am prevented takmg my 
usual exercise. 
The above case is important, not only as furnishing a 
striking and unprejudiced instance of the effect of magnesia, 
in counteracting the tendency to form uric calculi and gra- 
vel; but likewise, as'demonstrating its efficacy where the 
alkalies had failed, and where the digestive organs had been 
injured in consequence of the use of such remedies: the 
time which has elapsed since the cure of this and other 
cases, without a relapse, is also strongly in favour of this 
mode of treatment. 
Case 2. A gentleman twenty years of age, who had suf- 
fered from heartburn and other dyspeptic symptoms, was 
seized, on the Ist of June 1811, with a violent pain in the 
Joins, and more especially in the right kidney, and during 
the night he passed a large quantity of red sand with his 
urine. On the ad, with a view to relieve the pain, which 
had increased considerably, le took fifty drops of laudanum, 
and drank freely of barley water. The night was passed 
more quietly ; but on the morning of the 3d he was seized 
with a violent pain in the kidney, and with the usual sym- 
ptoms of the passage of a calculus along the ureter. These 
continued with more or less violence till the evening of the 
4th, when he became perfectly easy, and remained so till 
the morning of the 6th, when, with considerable pain and 
eepcalty, he yoided a calculus composed of uric. acid, 
weighing 
