LITHOTOMY. To the Editor of the '?'?Indian Medical Gazette." Sir,?Dr. Partridge, in his letter on Lithotomy Statistics in the March number of your paper, says, "since coming here to Assam I have never heard or met with a case of stone in the bladder, nor has any other medical man done so either, as far as I am aware." For the benefit of Surgeons in Assam I would beg to state that, during the past year, I have performed lithotomy three times on Assamese successfully. The first two patients were Hindoos and the third was a Meeri (plainsman). The weights of the stones were as follows : 1 oz. 3 drs. 20 grs. ; G drs 6 grs., and 5 drs. 50 grs. The first a pliosphatic and the other two lithic. That there are numerous cases of stone in the bladder in this district, if not in Assam, I feel certain, and the reason that medical men do not come across them is, that the Assamese are so imposed upon by native drug vendors and charmers that they but seldom think of consulting a European doctor. The first man I operated on was brought to me by a Bengali coolie, and on his recovery I offered him a reward if he would bring me another case. Anxious to get his reward, he brought me a host of genito-urinary cases and at last a case of stone. The third man hearing of the recovery of the others, came in alone ; and I am sure there are many more in the district. Of late several Assamese have died of this disease,?one of them after a most peculiar operation, which I shall describe as showing the advanced stage of surgery to which they have attained. The priest having placed the patient on bis" back, raised well the anterior wall of the abdomen, placed a stone on one side of it and belaboured the other with a second stone ; desisting when the calculus was supposed to have been crushed. The patient died a few days after the operation. This was told me by the first man I operated on. If any surgeon in Assam wishes to get lithotomy cases, the best way to set about it is to ask the headmen of the villages ; if there be any such case it is immediately forthcoming. 1 am. Sir, Yours faithfully, Robkut Cran, M. D. th JanuaryUpper 1881. Assam. Lvcltimpore, North 25

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