1819.] Scientific Intelligence. 233 



organs which leads to the formation of such unnatural substances. 

 These concretions are commonly discharged enveloped in mucus 

 during a violent fit of coughing, and sometimes accompanied by- 

 blood, but frequently not. Indeed haemoptysis and its conse- 

 quences appear to constitute the great danger attending them, as, 

 from the violence of the irritation they produce, such°an occur- 

 rence is not unlikely to happen in plethoric or otherwise pre- 

 disposed individuals. 



The following case will illustrate the points in question. A 

 gentleman about 30 years of age was sent to me by a friend a 

 tew weeks ago, who had for several years occasionally coughed 

 up these concretions. His general health appeared to be °-ood, 

 and he assured me that he was not aware that he had any disease 

 of his lungs whatever. They were discharged as usual with 

 violent coughing, but without blood. They varied in size from 

 that of a common pin's head to twice or thrice that magnitude, 

 and their shape and surface were irregular and different. On 

 being subjected to analysis, they were found to consist chiefly 

 of phosphate of lime with some carbonate of lime, and a cement- 

 ing animal matter, which retained the size and shape of the 

 concretion after the earthy matter had been removed by an acid. 

 Pulmonary concretions have been examined by different chemists. 

 Some have stated their composition to be as above, while others 

 have found them to consist entirely of phosphate or carbonate of 

 lime united to an animal matter. I have never seen an example 

 of either of these instances, and strongly suspect that those 

 chemists who have asserted them to consist occasionally solely 

 of carbonate of lime have suffered themselves to be mistaken. 



IX. Earthy Mass discharged from a Wen. By Dr. Prout. 



This bony mass was discharged by ulceration and suppuration 

 from a wen situated in the back part of a man's neck. When 

 first separated, it was exceedingly fetid and heavy, but dimi- 

 nished in fetor and weight as it lost its moisture. Its general 

 shape was oval, but it was flattened and irregular on the side 

 winch appears to have been that next the body. The length of 

 its greatest diameter was 2-1 inches, of its lesser diameter 11 

 inch, or when taken perpendicularly to the flattened side, only 

 one inch It weighed, when tolerably dry, 580 grains. In 

 colour and general appearance, it resembled bone; but its 

 internal structure was different, as it seemed to be made up of 

 ill-defined granular masses, the interstices of which were filled 

 with a less compact substance. Hence it could be easily broken. 



When exposed to heat, it burned with a flame as if it contained 

 an o.ly matter, and after being burnt, it still retained its shape, 

 though it was very fragile. A small fragment submitted to 

 analysis gave the following as its constituents, the proportions of 

 which, however, from the minute quantity operated on, are only 

 to be considered as approximations. 



