Percy speaks of a man named Simoore, born in 1752, who at the age of fifteen was afflicted with ankylosis of all the joints, and at different angles He was unable to move even his jaw, and his teeth had to be extracted in order to supply him with nourishment. Even his ribs were ankylosed; his chest puffed up, and the breathing was entirely abdominal. In spite of his infirmities, after his pains had ceased he lived a comparatively comfortable life. His digestion was good, and his excretory functions were sufficient. The urine always showed phosphates, and never the slightest sign of free phosphoric acid. He still retained his sexual feeling, and occasionally had erections. This man died in 1802 at the age of fifty, asphyxia being the precursor of death. His skeleton was deposited in the Museum of the ecole de Medecine de Paris. In the same Museum there was another similar skeleton, but in this subject there was motion of the head upon the first vertebra, the lower jaw was intact, and the clavicle, arms, and some of the digits of the right hand were movable.
An ossified man has been recently found and exhibited to the Paris Academy of Medicine. He is a Roumanian Jew of thirty who began to ossify twelve years ago, first up the right side of his back, then down the left side. He has hardened now to the nape of the neck, his head is turned to the left, and the jaws are ankylosed. He can still move his arms and legs a little with great difficulty.
Akin to the foregoing condition is what is known as petrifaction or ossification of portions of the living human body other than the articulations. Of the older writers Hellwigius, Horstius, and Schurig speak of petrifaction of the arm. In the Philosophical Transactions there was a case recorded in which the muscles and ligaments were so extensively converted into bone that all the joints were fixed, even including the vertebrae, head, and lower jaw. In a short time this man was, as it were, one single bone from his head to his knees, the only joints movable being the right wrist and knee. For over a century there has been in the Trinity College at Dublin the skeleton of a man who died about 20miles from the city of Cork. The muscles about the scapula, and the dorsum of the ilium (the glutei) were converted into great masses of bone, equal to the original muscles in thickness and bulk. Half of the muscles of the hips and thighs were converted into bone, and for a long time this specimen was the leading curiosity of the Dublin Museum. In the Isle of Man, some years ago, there was a case of ossification which continued progressively for many years. Before death this man was reduced to almost a solid mass of bony substance. With the exception of one or two toes his entire frame was solidified. He was buried in Kirk Andreas Churchyard, and his grave was strictly guarded against medical men by his friends, but the body was finally secured and taken to Dublin by Dr. McCartney.
Calculi.--In reviewing the statistics of vesical calculi, the strangest anomalies in their size and weight have been noticed.
Among the older writers the largest weights have been found. Le Cat speaks of a calculus weighing over three pounds, and Morand is accredited with having seen a calculus which weighed six pounds. In his statistics in 1883 Cross collected reports on 704stones, and remarked that only nine of these weighed above four ounces, and only two above six, and that with the last two the patient succumbed. Of those removed successfully Harmer of Norwich reports one of 15 ounces; Kline, one of 13 ounces 30grains; Mayo of Winchester, 14 ounces two drams; Cheselden, 12ounces; and Pare in 1570 removed a calculus weighing nine ounces.
Sir Astley Cooper remarks that the largest stone he ever saw weighed four ounces, and that the patient died within four hours after its removal. Before the Royal Society of London in 1684Birch reported an account of a calculus weighing five ounces.
Fabricius Hildanus mentions calculi weighing 20 and 21 ounces;Camper, 13 ounces; Foschini, 19 ounces six drams; Garmannus, 25ounces; Greenfield, 19 ounces; Heberden, 32 ounces; Wrisberg, 20ounces; Launai, 51 ounces; Lemery, 27 ounces; Paget, in Kuhn's Journal, 27 ounces (from a woman); Pauli, 19 ounces; Rudolphi, 28ounces; Tozzetti, 39 ounces; Threpland, 35 ounces; and there is a record of a calculus weighing over six pounds. There is preserved in Trinity College, Cambridge, a stone weighing 34 ounces taken from the bladder of the wife of Thomas Raisin, by Gutteridge, a surgeon of Norwich. This stone was afterward sent to King Charles II for inspection. In his "Journey to Paris" Dr. Lister said that he saw a stone which weighed 51 ounces; it had been taken from one of the religious brothers in June, 1690, and placed in the Hopital de la Charite. It was said that the monk died after the operation. There is a record of a calculus taken from the bladder of an individual living in Aberdeen. This stone weighed two pounds, three ounces, and six drams. In the Hunterian Museum in London there is a stone weighing 44 ounces, and measuring 16inches in circumference. By suprapubic operation Duguise removed a stone weighing 31 ounces from a patient who survived six days.
