30 6 Sir James Earle’s Account of a Calculus 
situation, and the proper ligatures were applied ; but it was 
soon found that the lower limbs were so incapable of action 
or resistance, that they were left unconfined. The staff could 
be passed in no farther than the neck of the bladder; the di- 
vision of the urethra and prostate gland was made with the 
scalpel and probe-pointed bistouri : when this was accom- 
plished, it was found impossible to introduce any kind of for- 
ceps ; but on pressing hard with the finger, part of the stone 
felt soft, gave way, and made some room for the forceps, 
which brought away several portions, and with the assistance 
of a scoop, as much stone was extracted as would have filled 
a large tea-cup ; but the great mass, beyond what the finger 
could reach on either side, still remained hard and impene- 
trable, and after repeated trials with forceps of different kinds, 
and of the strongest powers, it was found impossible farther 
to reduce the size of it, or take it away. 
The patient bore the several attempts, and the necessarily 
protracted operation, with great firmness ; probably, from 
the paralized state of the parts, the natural acuteness of sen- 
sation was blunted ; however, as from weakness and fatigue 
he was becoming much exhausted, and the complete extrac- 
tion appeared clearly out of our power, it was judged right to 
relinquish any further endeavours. 
No haemorrhage ensued, he became calm and composed, 
and passed a tolerably good night ; the next day he com- 
plained only of the same kind of spasms, and frequent pressing 
desire to void urine that he had been accustomed to feel, and 
not in any very great degree more acute. As some proof of 
this, he was frequently inquiring when I thought the wound 
would be in a state to admit of the extraction of the remainder. 
