Six cases illustrating lithiasis of the urinary tract, from the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh

The six cases here described illustrate the clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of urinary calculi. The problems of aetiology, pathology and treatment, both operative and conservative, are discussed. The commentaries at the end of each case merely contain a summary and discussion of the clinical findings and treatment of that particular case. A general discussion in these matters, together with a review of aetiology, pathology and diagnosis of calculous disease, is put at the end of the paper. It is evident that in such a short series of cases as this no conclusive treatment of the very large topic is possible. The only inherent value of an assembly of a few cases under a common heading lies in the fact that it helps to marshal and clarify one's ideas on the subject under review.