Samuel Pepys and his Bladder Stone

Abstract

Samuel Pepys, as a young man, developed a bladder stone and, by the age of 25 years, realised that only surgery could deliver him from his agony. The chances of success in an age that was ignorant of sepsis were slender, but he opted for surgery. The operation, carried out through the perineum without anaesthetic by a master barber surgeon, was successful and Pepys survived. Although left sterile, he was far from impotent and he went on to achieve fame and fortune as Secretary to the Navy and President of the Royal Society. His greatest fame came after his death with the publication of his diary, which was to become one of the best known and best loved books in the language.

Spiculated Bladder Calculi: The Culprit for Repeated Catheter Failure

“…Bladder stones are associated with many complications including recurrent urinary tract infections (most commonly Proteus mirabilis ), haematuria, and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) [2]. We do not know why adult bladder stones, so common centuries ago, are now very rare [3]. Bladder stones are often more like a hedgehog rather than a smooth pebble in appearance, so it is not hard to imagine how they would burst a catheter balloon.…”

The Knife and the Stone

“…Although he went on to live a fulsome life, achieving fame and fortune, and died at the advanced age of 71, autopsy revealed that his left kidney was destroyed by seven large stones weighing 4.5 ounces but his bladder was intact and stone free 23 …”

‘And so to Pepys’ – the other side of the knife

“…Less is written, however, about the patients who suffered from these bladder stones and indeed suffered the knives of the surgeons who tried to treat them. Much has been written about Pepys' stone over the years, [1][2][3][4][5][6] but not only is it a tale worth the retelling, it yields a fine opportunity to focus on the patient, rather than the surgeons, in the history of urology.…”