On the following day the patient felt better; but the jaundiced tint was deeper, the stools paler, and the urine still high-coloured. The deposit of lithates had, however, slightly diminished. Still, feeling certain that the case was one of impacted gall-stone, I ordered the medicine to be repeated, and the stools to be again carefully examined.[27] On my arrival at the patient's house the next day, the maid met me with an expression of satisfaction which could not be misinterpreted, and I had scarcely entered the sick chamber when, with an {118} air of triumph, she showed me a gall-stone about the size of a large garden-pea, or small field-bean. It had been passed that morning about 11 o'clock, that is to say about fifteen hours after the second dose of medicine. On analysis the stone was found to consist almost entirely of cholesterine, and I have not the smallest doubt in my own mind that to the constant use of the podophyllin may, in a great measure, be attributed its formation. Unfortunately the stone had been accidentally broken before I saw it, and I was consequently unable to ascertain decidedly whether it was a solitary calculus, or one of many. Had it been one of several, it would of course have possessed facets. One facet would have indicated that the stone was one of two; two facets that three stones existed; three facets, that the gall-bladder had contained at least four calculi; while four or more facets would denote that the stone was one of many; whereas, if it was a solitary calculus, no such markings would be present. [Footnote 27: We are sometimes told to add water to the stools, and that if gall-stones are present they will be found floating on the surface. I have never yet been able to detect a gall-stone in this way. The plan I recommend is, therefore, to mix the stool freely with water, and either decant the supernatant fluid, and then add fresh portions of water till the whole of the soluble matter is removed, or to strain the mixture through a hair-sieve. The gall-stone in either case remains behind, and can be readily detected.] I may merely add, in conclusion, that from the time the stone passed, the stools resumed their normal colour--the first two or three were much darker than natural, in consequence of the sudden escape of the pent-up bile--the urine gradually became pale, and clear, and the skin regained its wonted hue. The latter change was expedited by {119} the administration of benzoic acid, and in a week from my first visit, a stranger would have been quite unable to detect that the patient had laboured under a recent attack of jaundice.