VOL. L.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. l6i 



dies has failed of giving relief, the other ought to be tried: for as the above 

 white calculus, which yielded a little to the solution of soap, resisted lime-water ; 

 so there may perhaps be others, that are readily dissolved by lime-water, but 

 little affected by soap. 



Dr. Springsfeld's experiments with lime-water are not just , for in several calculi 

 Dr. Whytt found the dissolving power of oystershell lime-water above 8 times 

 greater than he makes it. 



Observations on the Lithontriptic Virtue of the Carlsbad Waters, Lime -water ^ 

 and Soap. By Robert Whytt, M. D. F. R, S. p. 386. 

 From the experiments related in Dr. Springsfeld's Commentatio de Praerogativa 

 Thermarum Carolinarum, &c. it appears (says Dr. W.) that these waters are not 

 only possessed of a very extraordinary power of dissolving the stone, but that in 

 this respect they greatly exceed lime-water. 



(a) Thus, Dr. Springsfeld having infused, for 14 days, in a heat of 96 degrees 

 of Fahrenheit's scale, 3 pieces of the same calculus, each weighing 30 grains, 

 in eggshell lime water, the Carlsbad water, and in the urine of one who daily 

 drank this last water, renewing these several meristruums every day, he found, 

 on the 1 5th day, that the calculus in the lime-water had lost 1 gr. the calculus 

 in the Carlsbad water 6 grs. and that in urine 5 grs. 



(b) Again, having divided another calculus into 4 parts, each of which was 

 reduced to 80 grs. he put the first in oystershell lime-water, the 2d in Carlsbad 

 water, and the 3d in the urine of a person who drank this water. After 20 

 days, during which time the menstruums were renewed every day, and kept in a 

 heat of 96 degrees, the dried calculi had lost of their weight as follows : the first 

 3 grs. the second 18 grs. and the third 14 grs. 



Although Dr. W. made no doubt that Dr. Springsfeld, who appeared to be a 

 man of candour, as well as learning, had faithfully related the event of the expe- 

 riments, which he made ; yet either the lime-water he used must have been very 

 weak, or some other mistake must have happened in his experiments : for in all 

 the numerous trials Dr. W. made, about 15 years before, of lime-water, as a 

 solvent for the stone, Dr. W. always found its dissolving power much greater 

 than it appeared in Dr. Springfeld's experiments. And as in these trials different 

 urinary stones were used, it can scarcely be imagined, that it was owing to the 

 peculiar hardness of Dr. Springsfeld's calculi, that the lime-water made so little 

 impression on them. However, to be still further satisfied of this matter. Dr. 

 W. made the following experiments. 



1 . He put a piece of a very hard calculus, x, weighing 80 grains, in oystershell 

 lime-water, renewing the lime-water every day, and keeping it in a heat between 

 90 and 106 degrees of Fahrenheit's scale. After 20 days he took out the calcu- 

 lus ; and having set it by for some days, till it was become quite dry, he brushed 



VOL. XI. Y 



