107 



a long medical -practice has taught us, respect- 

 ing the more or less noxious effect of the diet of 

 the Patient. It was accidentally discovered, that 

 the alkalies, when taken inwardly, had a good 

 effect in relieving the pain, in cases of the stone, 

 and that vegetable acids aggravated them when- 

 ever the calculi consisted of uric acid ; but, not-^ 

 withstanding this experience, it is often impos- 

 sible to diminish the acid of the urine by the use 

 of alkali in those that suffer from an excess of 

 uric acid ; and I have myself tried in vain the 

 effect of acids in neutralising or acidulating an 

 alkaline urine. A middle-aged man was laid up 

 with the gout, his urine was foul and alkaline, 

 holding the earthy phosphates suspended in an 

 undissolved state. I gave him the sulphuric acid, 

 without any change ; and afterwards the ptys- 

 phoric, without any effect, until its dose was so 

 much increased that it became laxative : the 

 urine then became acid, and deposited uric acid 

 as long as the laxative effect continued, but no 

 longer, although the dose of the acid remained 

 unaltered ; lastly, I tried the acetic acid with as 

 little success, 



BRANDE has lately attempted to prove the 

 inefficacy of alkalies as a remedy, in cases of cal- 

 culi formed of uric acid. DR. HENRY, who had 



