Calcareous degeneration is seen in the ovary, and Peterman speaks of a stone in the ovary. Uterine calculi are described by Cuevas and Harlow; the latter mentions that the calculus he saw was egg-shaped. There is an old chronicle of a stone taken from the womb of a woman near Trent, Somersetshire, at Easter, 1666, that weighed four ounces. The Ephemerides speaks of a calculus coming away with the menstrual fluid.
Stones in the heart are mentioned by medical writers, and it is said that two stones as large as almonds were found in the heart of the Earl of Balcarres.
Morand speaks of a calculus ejected from the mouth by a woman.
An old record says that stones in the brain sometimes are the cause of convulsions. D'Hericourt reports the case of a girl who died after six months' suffering, whose pineal gland was found petrified, and the incredible size of a chicken's egg. Blasius, Diemerbroeck, and the Ephemerides, speak of stones in the location of the pineal gland.
Salivary calculi are well known; they may lodge in any of the buccal ducts. There is a record of the case of a man of thirty-seven who suffered great pain and profuse salivation. It was found that he had a stone as large as a pigeon's egg under his tongue.
Umbilical calculi are sometimes seen, and Deani reports such a case. There is a French record) of a case of exstrophy of the umbilicus, attended with abnormal concretions.
Aetius, Marcellus Donatus, Scaliger, and Schenck mention calculi of the eyelids.
There are some extraordinary cases of retention and suppression of urine on record. Actual retention of urine, that is, urinary secretion passed into the bladder, but retention in the latter viscus by inanition, stricture, or other obstruction, naturally cannot continue any great length of time without mechanically rupturing the vesical walls; but suppression of urine or absolute anuria may last an astonishingly extended period. Of the cases of retention of urine, Fereol mentions that of a man of forty-nine who suffered absolute retention of urine for eight days, caused by the obstruction of a uric acid calculus. Cunyghame reports a ease of mechanic obstruction of the flow of urine for eleven days. Trapenard speaks of retention of urine for seven days.
Among the older writers Bartholinus mentions ischuria lasting fourteen days; Cornarius, fourteen days; Rhoclius, fifteen days;the Ephemerides, ten, eleven, and twelve days. Croom notes a case of retention of urine from laceration of the vagina during first coitus. Foucard reports a case of retention of urine in a young girl of nineteen, due to accumulation of the menstrual fluid behind an imperforate hymen.
The accumulation of urine in cases of ischuria is sometimes quite excessive. De Vilde speaks of 16 pints being drawn off. Mazoni cites a case in which 15 pounds of urine were retained; and Wilson mentions 16 pounds of urine being drawn off. Frank reports instances in which both 12 and 30 pounds of urine were evacuated.
There is a record at the beginning of this century in which it is stated that 31 pounds of urine were evacuated in a case of ischuria.
Following some toxic or thermic disturbance, or in diseased kidneys, suppression of urine is quite frequently noticed. The older writers report some remarkable instances: Haller mentions a case lasting twenty-two weeks; Domonceau, six months; and Marcellus Donatus, six months.
Whitelaw describes a boy of eight who, after an attack of scarlet fever, did not pass a single drop of urine from December 7th to December 20th when two ounces issued, after vesication over the kidneys. On January 2d two ounces more were evacuated, and no more was passed until the bowel acted regularly. On January 5th a whole pint of urine passed; after that the kidneys acted normally and the boy recovered. It would be no exaggeration to state that this case lasted from December 5th to January 5th, for the evacuations during this period were so slight as to be hardly worthy of mention.
Lemery reports observation of a monk who during eight years vomited periodically instead of urinating in a natural way. Five hours before vomiting he experienced a strong pain in the kidneys. The vomitus was of dark-red color, and had the odor of urine. He ate little, but drank wine copiously, and stated that the vomiting was salutary to him, as he suffered more when he missed it.
Bryce records a case of anuria of seventeen days' standing.
Butler speaks of an individual with a single kidney who suffered suppression of urine for thirteen days, caused by occlusion of the ureter by an inspissated thrombus. Dubuc observed a case of anuria which continued for seventeen days before the fatal issue.
Fontaine reports a case of suppression of urine for twenty-five days. Nunneley showed the kidneys of a woman who did not secrete any urine for a period of twelve days, and during this time she had not exhibited any of the usual symptoms of uremia. Peebles mentions a case of suspension of the functions of the kidneys more than once for five weeks, the patient exhibiting neither coma, stupor, nor vomiting. Oke speaks of total suppression of urine during seven days, with complete recovery; and Paxon mentions a case in a child that recovered after five days'
suppression. Russell reports a case of complete obstructive suppression for twenty days followed by complete recovery. Scott and Shroff mention recovery after nine days' suppression.