STOXE IN THE BLADDER 197 



Stone in the Bladdeio 



(Lithiasis.) 



Etiology and Pathological Anatomy. — The various lithic formations 

 found to originate in the pelvis of the kidney and the bladder are found 

 either in the form of fine sand-like or gritty substances, or formed calculus; 

 these may be s\i1)divided into urates, oxalates, phosphates, and cystates. 



Urates. — These consist of uric acid or uric acid salts, or both in com- 

 bination. They are small, hard, yellowish or reddish-brown bodies, hav- 

 ing a smooth surface; on cutting through the centre they are found to be 

 formed in concentric layers or strata. 



Oxalates are composed chiefly of oxalic acid and lime salts, and are 

 more or less mixed with uric and phosphoric acids. They are hard, 

 brown in color, and have an irregular mulberry-like surface. 



Phosphates. — These are composed of phosphoric acid, lime, and triple 

 phosphates. They are gray-white in color and, as a rule, are soft and 

 friable. 



Cystic Stones. — These are soft, wax-like bodies, having a shiny 

 crystalline, irregular surface. 



All these lithic deposits contain besides their inorganic elements, 

 numerous organic elements, such as epithelium, blood cells, mucus, etc. 



Klemmer found on careful examination of 3301 dogs that 12 or about 

 0.38 per cent, were affected with stone. The size to which these calculi 

 may grow is considerable. In Dresden there is a calculus taken from a 

 German boar-hound that is 11 cm. long and 7.5 cm. wide, 6 cm. thick, 

 which weighed 490 grammes Avhen fresh. They are generally started in 

 their formation in the pelvis of the kidney, and, generally, from some for- 

 eign body, such as a blood clot, a piece of mucus, epithelium, etc., around 

 which the sediment in the urine forms and gradually the crystalline ele- 

 ments accumulate. This deposit is formed very quickly in cases of 

 cystitis, Avhere the urine is undergoing alkaline fermentation and pro- 

 duces a copious sediment in the urine. 



Paul Bert and Studensky found by experiments that the food and fluids 

 that the animal takes may have a certain influence on the formation of 

 stone in the bladder. The former mentions two cases in which one was 

 fed exclusively on meat and the other on vegetables. On post-mortem of 

 the animal fed on meat there was found a phosphatic calculus, but no 

 trace of inflammation of the urinary organs. 



Studensky placed foreign bodies in the bladder and found that when 

 the animal was allowed to drink only water that was thoroughly impreg- 

 nated with lime salts that there was soon formed over the body a thick, 



