URINE.
1289
rC
<D .
Ö
—
O
s
O
13 o
oS
PQ
fc
Hco
Under 10 years
of age
136
83
281
500
Between 10 and
20
65
21
106
192
20 and 30 -
35
21
48
104
30 and 40 -
34
12
48
94
40 and 50 -
37
28
47
112
50 and 60 -
28
21
96
145
60 and 70 -
18
9
70
97
70 and 80 -
2
2
8
12
355 197
704
1256
a _ «
‘■g 8 g
"g 3 «
Urine in disease may not only show a
tendency to deposit matters of an insoluble
character in the form of urinary deposits or
calculi, but it may also contain in solution an
excess or deficiency of any one or more of its
normal constituents. There may likewise be
present in solution matters altogether foreign
to the healthy constitution of the fluid. The
urine in disease may then, so far as its dis¬
solved matters are concerned, be considered
in two points of view, viz. 1. Excess or defi¬
ciency of normal constituents ; 2. Presence
of matters not existing in healthy urine.
I shall proceed to notice the state of the
urine in those forms of disease in which it
has received attention, and shall quote from
the work of Franz Simon, who not only
laboured long and well on the subject, but
collected much valuable information relating
to it. Before doing this, however, I must
notice the ingenious attempt made by Bec¬
querel to classify all diseased conditions of
urine under four heads, viz. 1. Febrile urine ;
2. Anaemic urine ; 3. Alkaline urine ; 4. Urine
but slightly varying from the conditions of
health.
I will shortly notice the principal cha¬
racters of these four varieties.
1. Febrile urine. — a. Febrile urine, strictly
speaking.—The proportion of water passed
in the twenty-four hours less than in health.
Solid matters slightly diminished in propor¬
tion. Urea and inorganic salts deficient.
Uric acid increased in proportion. Colour
high. Specific gravity above the normal
standard. Often turbid from lithates. Some¬
times contain albumen.
This latter statement of Becquerel’s must
be received with some reservation. Thus I
have several times known a deposit produced
in urine in adynamic forms of fever on the
addition of nitric acid, which proved, on ex¬
amination, to be lithic acid and not albumen.
The following are the conditions in which,
according to Becquerel, the urine assumes
the febrile character ; viz., in chronic and acute
inflammations ; in diseases of the liver, heart,
and lungs; in haemorrhages, and in organic
degenerations of organs resulting from fever
or long functional derangement.
ß. Febrile urine, with debility. — The pro¬
portion of water diminished. Specific gravity
less than in a. Solid matters also less in the
twenty-four hours. Uric acid in normal
proportion. All other constituents absolutely
but not relatively diminished. This urine is
then less concentrated than that of health. It
is deeply coloured, often turbid from deposit
of uric acid. It occurs in adynamic fevers.
y. Febrile urine containing the natural pro¬
portion of water. — Urea and fixed salts dimi¬
nished in proportion. Uric acid and other
organic matters normal. Specific gravity low.
Colour deep. No sediment.
2. Anæmic urine. — a. True anaemic urine.—
Water in the twenty-four hours nearly normal.
Solids discharged much less than in health.
Urea, uric acid, and fixed salts diminished.
Other organic matters decreased in slighter
degree than the above. Specific gravity low.
Colour light. No sediment.
ß. — Concentrated anæmic urine.—Water in
twenty-four hours diminished, although the
solids are then relatively increased, still they
are absolutely diminished. Urea, uric acid,
and fixed salts especially diminished. Other
organic matters less so. Urine of livid or
greenish tint.
3. Alkaline urine.—Distinguished by alkaline
reaction on test paper. Odour ammoniacal :
occurs in acute and chronic nephritis, diseases
of the bladder with secretion of pus, and in
certain cerebral diseases; occasionally in the
“ morbus Brightii.”
4. Urine nearly normal. — Nearly that of
health. Occurs in mild disorders unaccom¬
panied by fever.
With respect to this classification of Bec¬
querel, it may be observed that the heads of
arrangement by no means embrace all the
forms of diseased urine met with in practice,
—an end, indeed, which will scarcely be com¬
passed by any attempts of the kind. There
appears no advantage in making such clas¬
sifications; and indeed much evil must result
from the necessary endeavour which will be
made in such a table to place diseases under
headings which either imperfectly or incor¬
rectly express their real character. The table,
however, is of some value, as showing the
general results obtained in fevers and in
anaemia ; but further than this the student
need not regard it.
The following introductory remarks by Franz
Simon are extremely valuable, and will well
repay the reader for the trouble taken in their
careful perusal. I transcribe them from Dr.
Day’s translation for the Sydenham Society: —
“ In inflammatory affections, and in those
diseases which are accompanied by that form
of fever which is termed sthenic or synochal,
the urine differs greatly in its properties from
normal urine. In speaking of the probable
cause of the changed constitution of the blood
in the phlogoses, I showed that it is not to be
referred to the diseased organ, but to the re¬
action which manifests itself throughout the
vascular system. If the change in the con¬
stitution of the blood bears an accurate and
inseparable relation to the fever, there can be