Remarks on the stone and gravel in the kidneys and bladder : with an account of the discovery of a solvent remedy, now used with universal success, and commonly known as Dr. Lee's Gravel Specific / by Samuel H.P. Lee.
- Lee, Samuel H. P. (Samuel Holden Parsons), 1772-1863
- Date:
- 1843
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Remarks on the stone and gravel in the kidneys and bladder : with an account of the discovery of a solvent remedy, now used with universal success, and commonly known as Dr. Lee's Gravel Specific / by Samuel H.P. Lee. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)
23/32
![A Medical Case of Gravel;—Kidnies in a very advanced State of granular disorganization ; Anasarcal Dropsy, and a train of complex secondary diseases; Blood highly charged with Urea; Lithic Diathesis; Hyper- trophy of the Heart; Incipient disease of the Liver, &c. ; treated successfully, at the New-York Gravel Infirmary, No. 70 Nassau-street, with Dr. S. H. P. Lee's Lithontriptic. Shrewsbury, New-Jersey, July 31, 1842. To Dr. S. H. P. Lee, New-York : Dear Sir,—The sympathy which 1 feel for suffering humanity, whose lot it is to he alllicted with one of the most excruciating maladies, mortal flesh is heir to,— The Gravel and Stone in the Kidnies and Bladder,—and to express my gratitude to you, for my recovery [under Providence] from that disease in its very worst form, by your medical course, induces me to address you with the history of my case, and to request you to make it public for the benefit of the afflicted, not in a pulling spirit merely to benefit you, or for the vanity of appearing in print myself, but fn moral sense of duty towards my suffering fellow-creatures. In 1838, I began to complain of lassitude and weakness in my limbs and great depression of spirits, this was soon followed by a continual fixed pain across the small of my back—so severe at times that I could not put on my coat. In December, 1840 I began to discharge, with my urine, bloody mucus mixed with sand, gravel and pebble stone- as large ms heads of great pills, witli white matter like pus, very offensive, attended with a desire to urinate from 30 to 40 times in 24 hours, accom- panied with nausea at stomach and vomitings, a bad appetite and obstinate costive bowels. In a short time I was obliged to give up labor entirely; my strong and hale constitution run down rapidlv, I became depressed and weak, and was obliged to lie in bed much of my time ; a dull hanging pain extended from my back to the shoulders, head, eye-balls and limbs. All these symptoms gradually increasing until the following June, when I became much swollen in my flesh, over my body and limbs. Indentations with my thumb would remain long. My pains were In turns so sharp and severe, with great exhaustion and short breathing, that I was sometimes thought to be dying. Under this state of things I had the best medical attendance, my kind Physicians told me my case was the worst kind of Gravel disease, attended with consequent disease of the organs and secretions generally. and usual remedies used without any abatement of my disease. I was now advised to consult the Doctors in New-York, and was accordingly brought there in the sum- mer of 1341, and applied to Dr. P , who, on a close and detailed examination. pronounced my disease to be the Gravel, attended with a diseased Liver, Dropsy. Rheumatism and Heart affection. At this time, besides the constant discharges from my kidnies and bladder, I had a swelling on my right side just below the short ribs, which on rubbing or pressing would make a noise over my liver like the gurgling of a frog, or wind and water, mv heart would palpitate, and my breathing being short would make such a commotion in my breast, that the striking pulsations were visible across the room ; my discharges now were to an almost incredible ex- tent from the bladder, like bloody mucus mixed with brown mud, and I w as so uni- versally swelled that my clothes could not be worn. Doctor P with great candor and delicacy, said he felt it his duty to tell me that I was incurable, and ad- vised me to return home and await the result with resignation ; I did so, and re- mained without any doctoring, except those remedies in common use about three weeks, and grew gradually worse. Unwilling still to give up all hopes of relief, [for it was only temporary relief that Ihopcd or expected while I did live;] I was recommended to another eminent Doctor in New --York, Doctor F , who attended me some two or three weeks, with some improvement in my short breathing and costiveness, but my Gravel and Kidney disease, with the pains and discharges gradually grew worse. My kind and estimable! Doctor, now told me frankly that my case was sodoubtful and unyielding that he advised me to return home ; but at this juncture, your treatise was put into my hands by Mr. Isaac Rogers of the Washington Market in New-York. I put it into Doctor F 's hands and asked his opinion, whether I should apply to you : he advised me to do so ; and Mr. Rogers having informed me that you had cured him of the Gravel some 20 years ago, and urgiag me to call upon you. I laid aside](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21136208_0023.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
