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Chronicle (Levin), 25 March 1946, Page 3

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KIDNEY STONES, (By tlie Department of Health.) Some people have the bad luck to dovelop kiduey stone, get themselves into aeute agony with colie as the stone tries to pas»s down the ureter or from the ureter into the bladder, and have to be rescued sooner or later by surgery if the stone is of any size. Others don't get so iar as large stone formations, but pass erystalline accumulations or gravel. Two abnormal conditions lie behind the formation of gravel or kidney stones. There is some isfective or degenerative eondition in the kidney, and there is a steady or frequently repeated excess of some salt being thrown out through the damaged kidney. It may be urie acid or oxalates, or pliosphates that are coming through in excess, but there is rarely a pure stone. When ninetenths or more of a stone is of one salt it is regarde^d as pure. To avoid or miriimise recurrences it is essential to know the salt which is being excreted in excess, as treatment varies with the type of stone. For example, if there is an abnormal concentration of urates, uric acid, or oxalates in the. urine', alkali is ^i'vfen till ■ the urine is' kept nioderately alkaline. If, on the other hand,. phosphatic deposits are occujcring^ the aim will be to keep the urine faintly acid. " lience medical supervision is necessary for anybody with a tendency to kidney gravel or stone. The diet has to be regulated according to the type of salt in abnormal concentration in the urine, or in a stone removed at operatiou, or passed naturally after a bout of colic. For all of us interest lies in the avoiding of kidney stones. Any person tkreatened with kidney stone partieularly, and all of us, really, should drink much more duid than we do. The taking of large quantities of water daily, as barley water or lemon drings if preferred, is the best preventive cif more gravel and stones in anyopfe affected. Such a person should aivri at four or even five pints in the d&y. This keeps the urine dilute, an^. Lessons the chances of depositin^ crystals, any salt being threave out in excess through the kidneys. Healthy folk should reinember, too, that taking ample fluid each day saves strain on our kidneys.