Louis C. Herring Laboratory has analyzed over 4 million calculi, more than all other stone laboratories in the United States combined.
The largest known kidney stone weighed 1.36 kilograms.The smallest kidney stones are microscopic crystals; it is possible to analyze stones weighing less than 0.1 mg.
Kidney stones come in virtually any color; but most are yellow to brown.
The shape and size of the stone may tell something about how it was formed.
Most stones are formed and excreted singly.
Hippocrates (470/460 B.C.-380/360 B.C.) makes reference to kidney stones in the Hippocratic Oath as follows: "I will not cut persons labouring under the stone, but will leave this to be done by men who are practitioners of this work."
Louis Napoleon, nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, lost the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 due wholly or in part from impaired kidney function resulting from kidney stone formation.
To date over 200 components have been found in calculi; however, the most common constituents of kidney stones are:
● Calcium Oxalate Monohydrate (Whewellite); CaC2O4 ● H2O
● Calcium Oxalate Dihydrate (Weddellite); CaC2O4 ● 2H2O
● Magnesium Ammonium Phosphate Hexahydrate (Struvite); MgNH4PO4 ● 2H2O
● Calcium Phosphate, Carbonate Form (Carbonate Apatite); Ca10(PO4)6-x(OH)2-y(CO3)x+y
● Calcium Phosphate, Hydroxyl Form (Hydroxyl Apatite); Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2
● Calcium Hydrogen Phosphate Dihydrate (Brushite); CaHPO4 ● 2H2O
● Uric Acid; C5H4N4O3
● Cystine; (SCH2CH(NH2)●COOH)2
● Sodium Acid Urate; NaH●C5H2O3N4 ● H2O
● Tricalcium Phosphate (Whitlockite); Ca3(PO4)2
● Ammonium Acid Urate; NH4H●C5H2O3N4 ● H2O
● Magnesium Hydrogen Phosphate Trihydrate (Newberyite); MgHPO4 ● 3H2O