In the last 17 years 3,150 patients have been treated by one or both of us for ureteral calculous disease. Our operative mortality is zero and our operative morbidity is 0.68 per cent, with an over-all morbidity of 0.8 per cent. We believe that stone extractions decrease the length of hospital stay and the time lost from industry, home or school. Thus, it is a worthwhile, effective and safe procedure. We agree with other investigators who believe that ureteral catheters and antibiotics are not necessary for routine stone extraction. We will await further word on the etiology of this endemic disease.