FROM THE 
JOUENAL or ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY 
Vox* XXIX. A CASE OF ABSENCE OF THE EIGHT KIDNEY. By 
Thomas Dwight, M.D., LL.D., Parkman Professor of Ana- 
tomy at Harvard University. 
This defect was seen, in February 1894, in the body of a young 
white blind man, aged nineteen, who had died of phthisis. The 
body was well formed. No anomalies of consequence were 
observed besides those about to be mentioned. He had lived in 
an almshouse from his fourth year, being in good health till 
within a few months of his death. He was blind when admitted, 
but thought that once he had seen. This was a mistake; for, 
though the eyes were not in good condition when I examined 
them, I was able to satisfy myself that it was a case of microph- 
thalmos. The eyeballs were very small, with opaque cornese, 
and apparently just alike. The right testicle was extremely 
small. Indeed, its presence was not considered certain till the 
scrotum was opened. Unfortunately, it was not measured. It 
was probably not over 2 cm. in length. 
There was no trace whatever of the right kidney, nor of the 
right renal artery and vein. The left kidney, with a single 
artery and vein, was in its proper place. It gave the impres- 
sion of being rather a large kidney. It was 13 cm. long, 7 cm. 
broad, and 4-3 cm. thick. As both vessels had been injected, 
its weight could not be ascertained. The ureter was about twice 
as large as normal. This seems to imply an increased activity.. 
Both supra-renal capsules were present. The vena cava, which 
was somewhat more to the right than usual, seemed rather small 
below the left renal vein, but of, at least, normal size above it. 
The left common iliac vein was abnormally distinct from the 
artery. The left spermatic artery arose as usual, but ran at first 
2or 3 cm. outward parallel to the renal artery. It then turned 
round a branch of the spermatic vein, which was double near the 
end, and ran downwards. The right spermatic vessels had been 
cut, and could not be traced. The artery, about 1 mm. in ABSENCE OF THE RIGHT KIDNEY. 
19 
diameter, arose from the right side of the aorta, about opposite 
the left renal artery, but was soon lost. Followed from below, 
the artery and vein ran upwards from the abdominal ring, 
further out in the flank than usual. The end of the vein could 
be found neither in the cava nor elsewhere. Nothing resembling 
the termination of a right ureter could be found at the bladder. 
When examined from the inside, the right half of the trigonum 
seemed undeveloped.