The History of Urinary Stones: In Parallel with Civilization

Abstract

The roots of modern science and history of urinary stone disease go back to the Ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamia. Hippocrates defined the symptoms of bladder stones. The first recorded details of “perineal lithotomy” were those of Cornelius Celsus. Ancient Arabic medicine was based mainly on classical Greco-Roman works. Interestingly, the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 forbade physicians from performing surgical procedures, as contact with blood or body fluids was viewed as contaminating to men. With Renaissance new procedures could be tried on criminals. The first recorded suprapubic lithotomy was carried out by Pierre Franco in 1561. In 1874, Bigelow developed a lithotrite, which was introduced into the bladder under anaesthesia (called as “litholopaxy”). Young was the first to report ureteroscopy (1929). With advances in intracorporeal lithotripsy techniques, ureteroscopy became the treatment of choice for ureteric stones. In 1976, Fernstrom and Johannson established percutaneous access to remove a renal stone. However, with the introduction of the first extracorporeal shock wave machine in 1980, a dramatic change in stone management was observed. Civilization in parallel with scientific developments has brought us to a point where we try not to “cut” our patients for stone disease, as Hippocrates admonishes, but rather manage them with minimal invasive alternatives.

Effect of Sarva Noi Linga Chenduram for anti urolithiatic activity in ethylene glycol induced animal model.

“…This suggested that Sarva Noi Linga Chenduram might have moderate diuretic effect. Following ethylene glycol administration the excretion of calcium, oxalate, phosphate and protein were found to be increased in lithiatic group while in standard, test groups these levels were significantly decreased (P<0.01).The results were shown in the bar diagram (1)(2)(3)(4) On contrary to this the magnesium level was decreased in lithiatic group while in standard and Sarva noi linga chendooram treated groups those levels were increased significantly (P<0.01). The serum creatinine levels of Sarva noi linga chendooram treated rats restored to normal limits and the creatinine clearance was also found to be improved.…”

Pilot study of Sarva Noi Linga Chenduram for Lithontriptic activity in the management of renal calculi. (Kalladaippu)

“…Bladder stones were more prevalent during older ages, but kidney stones became more prevalent during the past 100 years 1 The first evidence of urinary stone was found in Egyptian mummy E1amrah eygpt at 4800B.C…”

Could Al-Zahrawi Be Considered a Biomedical Engineer? [Retrospectroscope]

“…Rigal de Gaillac, Fournier de Lempdes, and Franz von Gruithuisen used drills that were very close in shape to Al-Zahrawi's drill. In the 19th century, Al-Zahrawi's drill was replaced by a rotating wheel introduced by Leroy d'Ettiole and Jean Civiale [31], [33].…”