Silicious Deposit in the Urine, supposed to he from the use of new sponge.
By Henry Johnson, M. D., Senior Physician to the Salop Infirmary.
Silicic acid is a well-known constituent of natural urine and of urinary
calculi; and it is always found in urinary concretions derived from brutes,
according to Wurser and Lapaigne. But although, on the authority of
these names, the occurrence of silex in urinary deposits and concretions
may be deemed possible, this event is at any rate extremely rare, and,
unless under peculiar circumstances, would be ascribed to accident, fraud,
or mistake. I have, however, seen it, where the parties were far above
all suspicion of any intention to deceive, and where the patient was too
young and girlish to be the subject of that morbid pruritus, which proba-
bly leads to the voluntary introduction of foreign substances per vaginam.
As every case is of importance which proves a fact, or points out an
obvious source of error, I think the following history is worth recording :—
In 1850, I was desired to examine a small portion of white powder, which
I understood was a deposit from urine; it had all the chemical characters
of silex, and scratched glass with facility. I was informed, that not-
withstanding every precaution having been taken to avoid error, more or
less of this powder had been found at the bottom of the utensil for about
a fortnight. I afterwards saw the patient. She was 11 years old, of
spare habit, but tall for her age, and by no means strong. She was sub-
ject to sickness and anorexia; the bowels were torpid; the tongue was
not clean; the catamenia had never appeared. At the time of my see-
ing her, the silicious deposit had ceased. The urine was pale, had a
specific gravity, verging from 1011 to 1031, there was a light mucous
cloud in it, and it contained some prismatic crystals of triple phosphate,
aud on another occasion urate of ammonia and a large quantity of urea.
The most distressing symptom was a nnst constant desire to pass water,
by day and by night, s.o that she could not rest, and if the desire was not
speedily gratified, the urine escaped involuntarily.
There appeared to be no organic disease present in this case, and the
patient ultimately got. well without any remarkable symptom or treat-
ment. I feel quite satisfied that there was here no endeavor to impose upon
her medical attendants, either on the part of the patient or her friends.
The silicious deposit I have no doubt arose from the use of a new sponge.
A silicious powder (quartz) is always found in sponge when new, and I
have since seen a large quantity of this sort of dust, which had fallen out
upon the shelf in a chemist’s shop where these articles were kept; it is
nearly pure silex, because sponges are prepared for sale by being soaked
in dilute muriatic acid, which removes calcareous particles, and leaves
such as are silicious.—Prov. Med. and Sur. Jour.