114 Galvanism as a Solvent for Urinary Calculi. [Feb. 



Having separated these constituents, I iound fecula simply to com- 

 municate a bloom. Oxymurialic acid and gluten had a very bad 

 effect. Hence a self-evident proposition becomes irresistible : that 

 those nutritious grains containing less gluten are the most proper j 

 thus the farenaceous seeds of oats, barley, rye, &c. 



The oxymuriate of lime appears to communicate a fine bloom : 

 and as this acid may be employed to extract the lime after the 

 process of depilation, so the salt of oxymuriate of lime may be 

 employed afterwards to improve the bloom, so requisite to those 

 tanners who prepare for the London market. 



Two very respectable tanners have informed me that on my sug- 

 gestion muriatic acid and oatmeal, and barley flour, have been 

 used by them with great success. The muriatic acid renders hides 

 which are required to possess this property pleasantly flexible. 



« Les choses ne sont estimables qu'autaDt qu'elles lont utiles." 



I am, with much respect, 



Your very humble servant, 



atoumarket, Oct. S, 18U. J. McRRAY. 



P.S. One of the desiderata in tanning appears to be some good 

 substitute for lime in the process of depilation. Would not this be 

 effected by a stove heat ? 



Article VII. 



On Galvanism as a Solvent of Urinary Calculi. 

 By Mr. William Stark. 



(To Dr. Thomson.) 

 SIR, '9 



A METHOD of decomposing urinary calculi by the galvanic 

 influence having been suggested by a Mr. Goring in the last 

 number of your Annals of Philosophy, p. 361, 1 am induced to 

 trouble you with some of the remarks which I made in a paper read 

 at the Norwich Philosophical Society, Nov. 26, ISIJ, on that 

 subject. I have no wish to take from Mr. Goring any merit that 

 belongs to him in proposing a substitute for one of the most dan- 

 gerous operations in surgery ; but I must confess I do not see that 

 Mr. Goring's suggestion promises much advantage, either with 

 respect to the greater safety, or the alleviation of the sufferings, of 

 patients. I would ask Mr. G. whether puncturing the bladder whh 

 a trochar, and introducing the appendages of a galvariic battery 

 through the wound, is not attended with as much pain, and as 

 much danger, us attend the commoa method of operating for the 



